Ever wonder if athletes actually get time off during college breaks? What do they do to keep their skills intact during off time? Do coaches think it's essential for players to relax their entire break? Jordan Willis and Joe Herrera tell us what they do for their athletes, from their own coaching experience. 

Jordan Willis is the head coach of women’s volleyball at Otero Junior College. Otero Junior college is a NJCAA Division I Junior College located in La Junta, CO. Otero is a member of the Region IX conference alongside other schools such as: Northeastern Junior College, Lamar Community College, and Trinidad State Junior College. 

Joe Herrera is the head women’s volleyball coach at Point University. Point University is a NAIA institution located in West Point, GA. Point University is a member of the Appalachian Athletic Conference alongside other schools such as: Reinhardt, Truett McConnell, and CIU.

Coaches

Jordan Willis: Head Women’s Volleyball Coach at Otero Junior College.  

Joe Herrera: Head Women’s Volleyball Coach at Point University. 

Jordan Willis

Jordan says the nice thing about Junior College is that you can still have downtime as a player. He says that they always give players workouts to do over winter break, but they are also allowed to go home during those breaks. Jordan also talks about what he expects out of his players athletically. 

Joe Herrera

Joe says he is a big believer in living a balanced life, life is not all about volleyball. He says they do not practice or do workouts on Sundays. All athletes are encouraged to go home for winter and spring break. He thinks this is important, and crucial to his athletes, so they have time to relax - he doesn't want his athletes to feel burnt out.  

As an athlete, downtime is essential to rejuvenating the body - mentally and physically. Sometimes we forget that our body needs a couple days of relaxation, in order to have your mind in the game, and in practice. It doesn't just stop at breaks, implementing a way to decompress during a full packed day of classes, practices, and/or games, can go a long way.