Hopkinton experienced a special and successful athletic year in 2017-2018. While a number of graduating seniors will continue in college, many must find new ways to stay active and in shape without the structure of sports.

Participating in these sports serve as a social outlet after school and promote an active lifestyle. Additionally, these sports help with time management and provide a structured schedule. Practices and workouts often take place at the same time each day after school and serve as the primary motivation for athletes to train and stay in shape year-round.

Senior Arthur Waltzman plans to remain on a strict training program through college. He participated in football and ultimate frisbee but took the initiative to workout and exercise frequently outside of those sports.

“Between and during those sports seasons I followed a weight lifting program and participated in Spartan Races to make sure I was constantly staying active and training all parts of my body,” Waltzman said.
Physical activity is also crucial for physical and mental health. It allows people to stay organized and set both short-term and long-term goals. Many of the graduating seniors understand the importance of good fitness and have developed plans that they can stick to long-term.

Graduating varsity hurdler, Ralston Augspurg has a different approach to staying active in college next year.

“As an underclassman, I would lift weights about twice a week throughout the school year. I didn’t follow a program and I mostly did it to have fun and stay in shape,” Augsburg said. “Until this year, I was not super focused on my well-being or health. But this year really hit me and I have prioritized regular exercise and healthy eating,”

“Although I am not going to be playing competitive sports, I will have physical training every day due to my military obligations,” Waltzman said.

“Additionally, I plan on sticking to similar weight lifting and running routines from high school. So even though I am not doing a competitive sport, I can still stay active whenever I want.”

“To stay active in the summer, I plan on getting a gym membership and finding a lifting program I can stick with, Augsburg added. “In college, I plan on continuing to workout at the school’s gym and maybe participate in intramural sports.”

Graduation marks a time of transition for student-athletes. While most varsity athletes will not play at the next level, there are plenty of ways to stay active, provided graduating student-athletes understand the mental and physical importance of having an active lifestyle.