Following their seventh-place finishes in the Big East Track & Field indoor championships, both the men’s and women’s teams are now gearing up for the upcoming outdoor season.
In track & field, the outdoor season brings some changes in events and strategies, but the main focus on training for speed and performance stays the same.
Coach Bert Rodgers said that athletes may need to adapt to various events, such as throwing the discus and hammer instead of the weight throw or running shorter hurdle races indoors.
But, the training for the outdoor season as opposed to the indoor stays the same.
“Actually, it doesn’t change a whole lot. Some events have different strategies. For instance, if you’re a thrower, you do the shot put similarly, but you also do the discus and the hammer instead of the weight throw or the javelin. Some athletes only do specific events,” Rodgers said.
“There are differences in events, but our training remains consistent. We still focus on speed and other aspects, making adjustments as needed for each event.”
Rodgers said keeping the training regimen consistent helps with the mental aspect of the sport.
“It’s definitely a big part. The mental aspects, like confidence, are crucial. For example, a runner might be in great shape but lacking confidence due to a streak of bad luck, which can affect their performance,” Rodgers said.
“On the other hand, someone with high confidence shows a noticeable difference. We often work on building self-confidence so that when it’s time to compete they’re ready.
“School stress, relationships and other factors can also play a role. Sometimes someone might seem off, but it turns out they’re just dealing with outside stress like a big project. So, mental strength is a significant factor.”
Sprinters
With majority of the sprinting squad being seniors last year, only a handful of returners will step up to fill the gaps left by graduating students.
When it comes to transitioning from indoor to outdoor, graduate student sprinter Zachariah Murray said the process can be easy and hard at the same time due to factor of weather conditions.
