Back in Action

While many students exercise heavily leading up to spring break, the motivation level falls off for some when they return to school. For one, though, this was not the case, and she returned wanting to do more than stay in shape to look good on the beach.
IU junior Katie Kiper spent her spring break relaxing in Mexico like many of her fellow students. When Kiper returned on Monday, it was back to work as she rejoined her field-hockey teammates on their outdoor field, not knowing what to expect from the coaches in their first practice since before break.

“It will probably be hard since they know we haven’t been doing anything,” she said.
Although the majority of students don’t play on varsity teams, many still try to exercise regularly, but the statistics don’t lie. According to Christine Geary, IU director of programming and research for recreational sports, January is the peak month for the Student Recreational Sports Center with about 3,900 facility visits per weekday. After spring break, though, the numbers drop.

Kiper tries to maintain consistency in her workouts and was ready to get back to practice after the time off last week.

After a quick jog and some warming up, the team stepped to one end line of the field, doing “suicides,” where the members run to a certain point on the field, then back again, each time going farther until they reach the other end line.

Much to the displeasure of the team, its coach would not tell them how many of these they were going to do.

After the first run of suicides, most of the athletes looked a little fatigued. After the second, people were laying on the ground gasping for breaths. Assistant Coach Jeremy Cook shouted encouragement to his team, making them do two more before calling it quits.

None of the athletes did quit, however, showing the strong motivation and work ethic they have had ever since their season ended in disappointment. The team lost its first game in the Big Ten Tournament against Iowa on Nov. 1, 2007, with the final score being 8-2.

“We lost on Thursday, I think it was, and we were right back out there conditioning on Monday,” Cook said. “I think it set a good tone.”

Kiper said she has extra motivation for her final year on the Hoosier field-hockey team with next year’s Final Four in none other than her hometown of Louisville, Ky.
In addition to practices in which the team runs, does drills and scrimmages, it also runs on its own and lifts weights as well.

On Sundays, it will do what Kiper called “Sunday Sweats,” where the members run together for 30 to 45 minutes.

At least twice a week, they hit the weight room for about an hour, doing high-repetition lifting, which makes them sore.

“I can feel the soreness when I wake up the next morning,” she said. “Even going up stairs on my way to class hurts.”

Despite all the hard work, Kiper says she still enjoys being on the team.
“The girls are really fun,” she said. “We get along very well.”

Kiper said that when the team is not practicing, running or lifting weights, its members can be found hanging out at someone’s house or participating in “craft time,” where they paint and make crafts with each other.

Fellow senior-to-be Dani Castro agreed that the team is close.

“We are such a family-oriented team that I don’t feel away from home,” she said.