Sore legs, sprained joints, stretched muscles, aching bones. Those post-season pains are all too familiar for many winter athletes. Whether it’s basketball, hockey, swimming, or skiing, student athletes end their season after spending four months giving their team everything they physically and emotionally could.

“I definitely feel very exhausted when the season ends, but also sad that the season is ending,” junior Nora Kempainen said. Kempainen is a member of the Nordic Ski team, and starts running with the Track team soon after the season ends.

The biggest problem that emerges for athletes who compete in sports during the winter and spring season is this: how do athletes physically recover in time for the spring season?

Athletes are expecting to start their spring seasons ready to dedicate themselves to working hard for their team, and trying to train and excel individually as well. All of those things are hard to do if they are still dealing with the exhaustion from their winter season. While some athletes commonly use foam rolling and other techniques to soothe their muscles, they can only go so far when it comes to long term recovery.

“It’s hard with hockey and softball because I come off the hockey season feeling so tired and dead, but softball season starts so soon,” sophomore Olivia Williams-Ridge said. “I usually take a full week off from practicing anything to give myself time to recover and catch up on sleep.”

Even if an athlete’s season gives them very little time that they can take off,spending at least one or two days recovering can majorly impact the start of the spring season.

“I usually take the rest of the weekend off from [hockey] once it ends. But after that it’s time to get back to work and time to get ready for the baseball season,” junior Weston Lombard said.