Preparing for a full season can take a lot of time and energy for student athletes. On top of this, they must pile their schoolwork as well. Their sports may not give them the freedom to do the activities and hobbies that they enjoy doing. When the off-season hits, then they can get back to doing the things they love to stay in shape and to keep conditioned.

Sophomore defender Ed Weise, of the Seattle Pacififc University soccer team, enjoys going snowboarding in the off-season on the weekends.

“We have been trying to go as much as possible. Every other weekend. Maybe two in a row,” he said. 

Weise and his friends typically will spend the whole day at Crystal Mountain and try and find the best route to try and go down to snowboard. Whenever they go, they always stock up on food such as sandwiches and hot pockets. After they are done, they will grab a meal, such as burgers.

Weise said that they made some trips up to the mountain last year, but this year they are trying to increase their visits.

“I go with a couple buddies on the team, but there’s a group of friends that all love to go who went up recently. So, I’ll have to go with them sometime,” Weise said. 

Freshman Jon Owen, on the track and field team, enjoys working on cars.

For Owen, most of the time he will work on his own car during the summer, when he is not busy with school. He owns a Jeep which he says breaks down a lot, which is why he wants to know the process of fixing cars.

“It is fun to know how things work so that way, if something breaks, I also know how to fix it. But for the most part it is more fun to know how things work,” Owen said. 

Freshman Lindsay Rosenthal, outside hitter on the volleyball team, enjoys going running on the weekends. She enjoys taking in the different sights of Seattle and seeing many of the parks that the city has to offer.

“It gives me an opportunity of freedom and opportunity to leave campus and explore the area and amazing city,” she said.

Whenever Rosenthal goes running, she will usually go with her friends and some people on her volleyball team. They will usually go throughout different parks and neighborhoods, running for about five miles.

“My favorite is Kerry Park, toward South Lake union area. Or even around Gas Works Park,” she said.

Being in Seattle, temperatures can get cold, but for Rosenthal she has gone running during some of the days when it has rained. She said that it was “enjoyable in itself.”

Even though athletes participate in their sports most of the year, they choose to get active in whatever way they can, even in the off-season.