While many Howard University students participate in internships, travel or work during summer break, student-athletes return to campus early. Preparing months before the semester begins for fall competition, they use the summer to strength train, practice and build team unity.
In addition, all Howard student-athletes are required to enroll in a minimum of one summer class in order to be eligible to take part in summer training. This can mean sacrificing time with family and friends and trading leisure time for class, workouts and recovery.
For Howard freshman volleyball outside hitter Addison Buckner, that dedication starts with having a clear purpose.
“Know your goals. You can say you want something, but unless you know what it takes to get there, it’s really never gonna happen,” said Buckner, a human performance major from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “Knowing what you have to do and how to stay focused in the small aspects of life will, in turn, grow you as a whole person.”
During summer training, freshmen on the Howard volleyball team are encouraged to connect with the other sophomores and underclassmen in order to get familiar with the pace of collegiate-level athletics. This is especially important in order to build a strong foundation and chemistry with the team.
Buckner does this by maintaining a schedule that works best for her. Prior to attending practice, she starts her mornings early with personal time, preparing for the busy day ahead. While many students have breaks to rest and relax, class, homework and workouts leave little breaks in between for student-athletes.
Training sessions for all sports are both physical and mental. Not only are they prepping for the fitness test, but they are also integrating new transfers and freshmen into their programs.
For some athletes, it’s less about sacrificing and more about making space for other commitments in addition to their athletic responsibilities.
Samone Knight, now a Howard women’s soccer graduate assistant who participated in summer training for the team, landed an internship over the summer with the Los Angeles Lakers. With this opportunity, she had to make time for both commitments, including traveling and dealing with scheduling conflicts.
These players not only put in physical work, but also live out the “student” in student-athlete, prioritizing career building and academics as well. Ultimately, they all share the common goal of improving in various areas during the off-season.
For senior middle blocker Zenai Jethroe, it is necessary to continue playing volleyball before returning to Howard early to train for the fall season. She understands the importance of practicing the sport with others, so she attends a volleyball club gym where she can practice with other college athletes.
Not only does this allow her to meet new people and make new friends, but she said it also helps her perfect her craft in volleyball and grow as a player.
There are also smaller sacrifices she partakes in, like refraining from eating out. She does this to build healthy habits that she must maintain throughout the season.
“I tend to think of my younger self as somebody looking up to me. I want to be better for myself and the ones looking up to me,” said Jethroe, a health science major from Dallas. “I play volleyball obviously for myself and for the school, but it’s deeper than that.”
Knight, also a former Howard women’s soccer defender, acknowledged the importance of preparing during the break. When all players train over the summer and return in good condition, it gives the team a strong foundation, setting them up for the upcoming season.
“Every season we’re going in hoping to win the conference championship and preparation starts in the summer and how seriously you prepare yourself,” Knight said. “If everybody does their job and comes back from summer break fit, then we can put ourselves in the best possible position to be successful in that goal.”
Ultimately, Howard athletics preparation begins with the work put in during the offseason, setting the tone for success throughout the year.
“Control the controllables and everything else, just give to God,” Knight said. “You can only control so much; focus on the things you can control, like your effort, your attitude while you are playing and everything else should fall in place.”
Copy edited by Daryl R. Thomas Jr.
