Student athletes are still held accountable over summer

While many UCCS students look forward to a summer full of relaxation, UCCS student athletes still have to kick themselves into high gear.

"You have to work your tail off all summer long," one of the top retuning cross country runners, Sam Feldotto, explained. "If you don't put in the long miles over the summer, you can't expect to be any good when the season rolls around come that fall."

According to the UCCS Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance Jessica Wood-Atkins, "The NCAA mandates that coaches cannot require mandatory practices for athletes over the summer vacation period, unless they are finishing their competitive season, which sometimes happens with outdoor track or golf." This means that off-season practice has to be largely done on the athletes' personal initiative.

That doesn't mean, however, the athletes are completely stranded during training over the summer. "Most coaches will send athletes home with a summer workout, which they will do on their own, to keep them in shape and ready to compete when they return," Wood-Atkins explained. "Athletes are also allowed, per the NCAA, to voluntarily work out with the athletic Strength and Conditioning Coach over the summer."

When they return in the fall, the day that athletes report back to their coach varies by sport. "The first day of practice varies dependent upon the sport as to when they can return in the fall," Wood-Atkins said. "For this upcoming fall, all fall sports are allowed to have their first official practice on August 16th."

When athletes report back in the fall, they are expected to be in good shape. "If you are not in shape, it will really show," explained Feldotto.  "Coach can pretty much tell right away who worked hard over the summer and who sat around playing video games."

Despite the coaches not being able to maintain contact with the students, the Athletic Department must keep careful tabs on all the athletes. "You have to fill out a form saying where you will be at all times," said Feldotto. "They need to be able to contact you in case of a drug test."

While UCCS students may enjoy a summer away from formal practices, they are still accountable to their teams in order to come back in the fall.

Feldotto recounted the words he had seen on a t-shirt to explain the importance of summer training: "Fall reveals the secrets of how summer was spent."