Long before the official hustle and bustle of move-in day arrives at Whitman with its box-laden families and noisy residence halls, many first-year student athletes have already spent multiple weeks on campus through their preseason athletic training experience. This year, cross country, volleyball and soccer athletes all arrived on campus in mid-August to get a head start on training and team building before the school year kicked off. 

Matt Helm, Head Women’s Volleyball Coach and Senior Lecturer of Sports Studies, explained that the first few days of preseason are often scheduled with important meetings. After students arrive on campus in accordance with the timeframe set by the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), they move into their temporary residence halls and spend their first days at Whitman in compliance meetings, completing physicals and meeting the team. 

For Helm, these first few days are critical to ensuring student safety during preseason and beyond. 

“We try to make sure they come in physically ready to go, then [the rest of preseason] is just getting them in the volleyball shape they need to be in in order to compete,” Helm said. 

Gracia Larson, a junior defender on the soccer team, has attended three preseasons during her time as a Whitman student and reflected on the changes in the process that have happened throughout the years. Larson explained that her first and second preseason were shorter due to differences in scheduling and air quality concerns, but that this year the preseason was over a week long. In Larson’s opinion, this added time was critical in helping first years to adjust to campus life. 

“I think it was hard for the freshmen at first to be here for so long without being able to access their [permanent] dorm room and start prepping, but overall it was better to have the two weeks because it’s helped our team chemistry and helped the freshmen get adjusted to Whitman’s campus,” Larson said. 

Addyson Puri, a first-year cross country runner, agreed with Larson’s assessment. Puri explained that since campus is especially empty during preseason, it makes it easier to spend free time around team members in a more casual setting. 

“They were the only people that were there, and the only people you could hang out with, so it was a really great bonding experience especially as a first year … it made the transition easier getting to know teammates in that more intimate setting,” Puri said. 

For most athletes, training during the offseason is self-guided, meaning that the coaches focus on gradually and carefully working up to more intense workouts during the preseason. Preparing for the upcoming season during the late summer means that its easier to get into a consistent routine once the fall starts. 

“Preseason is a lot heavier, we’re conditioning almost every day … and we have fitness testing to make sure everything we’ve been working on over the summer has been put into practice. It’s really heavy running … [but] when we’re in season it’s a lot more regulated,” Larson said. 

Despite the high workout intensity, all teams make time for bonding and connections amongst their members. Often facilitated by team captains, this summer athletes gathered for team dinners and barbecues, went swimming at the pool, and had fun game nights. The cross country team even had the opportunity to go off campus and volunteer at the All City Track Meet. 

For Helm, the unique blend between physical development and team building that the preseason provides makes it exciting for all players, new and old. 

“Jumping into season it’s kind of like a whirlwind, we’re throwing them into this beautiful chaos. Basically, [they’re] figuring out how to navigate through the whole orientation, be a part of a team, practice, [and] getting to know others coming onto campus for the first time then also juggling the volleyball aspect,” Helm said. 

By pairing training with fun and team bonding, Whitman athletics teams begin to cultivate a strong team culture before most have even arrived on campus, laying the groundwork for the season to come.