Off-Season Grind Sets Stage for Spring Success

Photo by Mōhai Peloso

Collegiate athletes rely on fall training to stay sharp, prevent injuries, and build lasting strength.

Preparing Months before Competition

As the fall semester begins, spring athletes at colleges across the country face a unique challenge: their competitive season remains months away. Although it may feel natural to ease off, experts emphasize that off-season preparation determines how athletes perform once games, races, and matches begin in the spring.

Maintaining Fitness and Preventing Decline

Without structured workouts, athletes quickly lose the conditioning developed during competition. A 2024 study in the National Library of Medicine found that under-19 soccer players who stopped training for three weeks showed measurable declines in sprint speed, jump height, and aerobic capacity. Players who continued high-intensity interval or plyometric training preserved most of their performance (National Library of Medicine, 2024).

Dr. Avery Faigenbaum, professor of Exercise Science at The College of New Jersey, said the lesson applies across sports. “If you stop training, you lose strength, endurance, and coordination quickly,” Faigenbaum said. “The off-season is when you build the foundation for peak performance later” (Faigenbaum, 2023).

Reducing Injury Risk

Beyond performance, structured off-season training protects athletes from injuries. A 2015 review in the National Library of Medicine reported that athletes who engaged in resistance training during the off-season maintained better power and experienced fewer in-season injuries (National Library of Medicine, 2015).

Experts from Children’s Health Sports Performance recommend using the off-season to improve mobility, flexibility, and balance. Dr. Troy Smurawa, director of Pediatric Sports Medicine at Children’s Health, said that diversifying training corrects muscle imbalances and reduces overuse injuries, which often affect pitchers, sprinters, and other athletes who repeat the same motions (Children’s Health, 2023; Smurawa, 2023).

Recovery without Complete Rest

The term “off-season” often misleads athletes. They need recovery, but stopping all activity can backfire. Endurance coaches promote “active rest,” a phase in which training intensity decreases while key fitness elements remain intact. Full Circle Endurance, a national coaching organization, describes this method as “planned detraining,” allowing athletes to recover physically while maintaining strength and stamina (Full Circle Endurance, 2023).

According to Faigenbaum, the fall months provide an ideal window for rebuilding strength and correcting weaknesses without the stress of competition. “Recovery is not about sitting on the couch,” he said. “It’s about smart training that prepares you for the next season” (Faigenbaum, 2023).

Mental Reset and Motivation

Months of competition can cause mental fatigue and burnout. Children’s Health notes that mental recovery is as important as physical rest, and a break from high-stakes games can renew motivation (Children’s Health, 2023).

Off-season workouts often include cross-training, yoga, or swimming, which provide variety while continuing to build athletic performance. “Stepping away from the pressure of performance allows athletes to reconnect with why they love their sport,” Smurawa said (Smurawa, 2023).

Tailoring Training for Spring Sports

Once the balance between recovery and motivation returns, athletes can focus on sport-specific preparation. Training priorities vary by sport:

• Baseball and softball players focus on rotational strength, shoulder stability, and explosive power.

• Lacrosse athletes emphasize agility, cardiovascular fitness, and stick control.

• Track and field competitors refine sprint mechanics, develop strength, and prevent injuries.

• Tennis and golf players train core stability and flexibility to prepare for repetitive swings.

Despite differences in focus, most programs share common components:

• Strength training to maintain and build power.

• Cardiovascular and high-intensity intervals to sustain endurance.

• Flexibility and mobility drills to increase range of motion.

• Sport-specific skill work in moderation to stay sharp without overtraining.

Looking Ahead

As athletes progress through the fall, their unseen work often defines how they will perform when competition begins. “The off-season is where champions are made,” Faigenbaum said. “Those who invest in smart, consistent training will enter the spring stronger, healthier, and more confident” (Faigenbaum, 2023). For college athletes aiming to lead their teams to victory, now marks the perfect time to put in the work—long before the first pitch, race, or faceoff.

Sources

National Library of Medicine. “The Isolated and Combined Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training and Plyometric Training on Performance in Under-19 Male Soccer Players During the Detraining Period: A Randomized Controlled Study.” 2024. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10915615/

National Library of Medicine. “Seasonal Changes in Strength Performance in Young Athletes: Impact of Resistance Training.” 2015. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4306788/

        Children’s Health. “The Benefits of Off-Season Training.” 2023.  https://www.childrens.com/health-wellness/the-benefits-of-off-season-training

         Full Circle Endurance. “Why Winter Off-Season Training Is Vital for Endurance Athletes.” 2023. https://www.fullcircleendurance.com/blog/why-winter-off-season-training-is-vital-for-endurance-athletes

Faigenbaum, Avery. Interview with The College of New Jersey Department of Health and Exercise Science, 2023.

Smurawa, Troy. Interview with Children’s Health, 2023.