If you play a college sport, you go through three phases each year; Preseason, In-Season, and Postseason. All of these are completely different and come with their own pros and cons.
Preseason
This is probably the most dreaded phase of the season, regardless of what sport you are playing. This is the time where you have to get in shape and hold yourself accountable. There is always the struggle of "I will watch one more episode of FRIENDS on Netflix and then go for a run". This typically turns into five more episodes, then taking a long nap, conveniently missing your opportunity to hit the gym. It is a new season, meaning there are incoming freshmen and more competition. Rumors fly around about the newbies (most of the time these are completely untrue) and you have now formed in your mind who you will probably like or dislike. You stress about tryouts and do your best not to freak out what the coach is thinking and where you stand.
In-Season
Congratulations! You have made it through the stressful preseason and have somehow managed to impress your coach enough to keep you on the team, well done. This is the best time because now you and your teammates have basically formed a mini-cult and are inseparable. Every opinion you have previously formed about the freshmen changes and you take them in as your own. You do everything together and never have to worry about sitting alone in the dining hall. You now eat whatever you want because you are working out constantly and are always hungry. You know what, you just skated hard for two hours straight, you deserve the very large bowl of ice cream! Now, you finally get to play in games and are not just practicing 24/7. There are some points during this phase where you feel like there is never enough time in the day to get your school work done or even relax for five minutes. However, when you walk into your locker room, the weight of the outside world doesn't seem as heavy.
Post-season
Hopefully, your season has ended in a championship #banners. Now, you finally get a second to breathe and relax your body for the first time in 5 months. You reminisce on all of the crazy moments during season, but are happy that you get to take a break. A week passes by, and the cons start to sink in. You no longer can eat whatever you want and now have to force yourself to go to work out. Just the thought of walking to the gym makes you cringe. You start to become a little depressed that you don't see your teammates every day, and you find yourself visiting your locker room more than you should be. However, at the end of the year, you have your team banquet and relive the memories of the year. This marks the end of post-season, and typically when your coach says,"Preseason starts now."
