From Charity To The Maple Syrup Business - What Athletes Do In The Off-Season

Photo: Instagram/waterboysorg

The off-season is crucial for athletes to recover, rejuvenate and prepare for the next competitive season. While some may envision athletes spending their off-time lounging on tropical beaches, the reality is quite different.

WNBA and Overseas Leagues

Most WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) players utilize the off-season to make money to supplement their regular season salaries. Sure, they also develop their skills and gain valuable experience by playing in other leagues overseas, but the wear and tear on their bodies make it a challenge. Look no further than Brittany Griner to see that other challenges are presented beyond physical deterioration.  

European Soccer

European soccer leagues are known for their relentless schedule, with matches occurring throughout the year. While there might not be a traditional off-season, players often have short breaks between seasons or international competitions to recharge and spend time with their families.

Minor League Baseball

Minor League Baseball players hoping to make it to the big leagues (MLB - Major League Baseball) face unique challenges during the off-season due to their lower salaries. The recent, and first of its kind, collective bargaining agreement (CBA) has set the wages higher, but still challenging considering the players are in-season from February until typically September and training to make a big league team in between.

Minor League Salaries per the CBA:

•           Complex league: from $4,800 per year up to $19,800

•           Low-A: $11,000 to $26,200

•           High-A: $11,000 to $27,300

•           AA: $13,800 to $30,250

•           AAA: $17,500 to $35,800

To make ends meet and continue pursuing their dreams, players engage in activities like coaching youth camps, providing private instruction, selling real estate, or even working in construction.

Athletes' Training Regimens

Many professional athletes remain dedicated to their training routines even during the off-season. LeBron James, for instance, invests a substantial amount, approximately $1.5M per year, to stay in peak physical condition. He employs cutting-edge technologies like cryotherapy and hyperbaric chambers and surrounds himself with a team of professionals, including a personal chef, masseuse and trainer.

Off-Field Contributions

Many athletes, like Chris Long, extend their impact beyond the field during the off-season. Chris Long, a philanthropist and two-time Super Bowl champion, founded the Waterboys organization to address the global water crisis. Through partnerships, like recruiting his teammates, and other initiatives, the organization has aided over 500,000 people in need.

Olympians' Diverse Pursuits

Olympic athletes face unique circumstances, as they often do not receive direct payment for their participation unless they win a medal. However, they have diverse off-season activities that contribute to their personal and professional growth. For instance, Hilary Knight, a celebrated women's hockey player, competes at the Olympic level and plays in the PWHPA (Professional Women's Hockey Players Association), working towards building a sustainable women's hockey league. Additionally, athletes like Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Nina Roth, Vicky Wright and Tabitha Peterson juggle their athletic pursuits with careers in fields like maple syrup farming, nursing and pharmacy.

Never A Dull Moment

Giving you something else to talk about besides how it’s still too hot to drink pumpkin spice lattes.

Spice up your life,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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NFL (National Football League)

This season's Super Bowl halftime show is a millennial's dream come true. Yesterday, the NFL announced that Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar would headline the halftime show during Super Bowl LVI on February 13 at SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers. MF'ERS DID NOT FORGET ABOUT DRE

Overtime

The Phoenix Mercury (WNBA - Women's National Basketball Association) are getting kicked out of their house ahead of Sunday's game three in their playoff series against the Las Vegas Aces. Last week the team was forced to seek another place to play because of a concert. The team has is forced out because the arena is hosting Disney On Ice instead. Surely, Minnie disapproves of sending six all-stars to play a professional league playoff game at a university basketball arena. HOW ABOUT A LITTLE RESPECT?

Sideline stat

You’ve read the headlines about the drama surrounding the NBA’s (National Basketball Association) goal to get the entire league vaccinated. Players like LeBron James got it, and others like Kyrie Irving don’t want it. Irving is in an interesting conundrum as players who play on teams based in San Francisco (Golden State Warriors), and New York (Nets and Knicks) must be vaccinated to play in their home arenas. Visiting teams are exempt. The NBA said they will not pay players for missed games if they “elect not to comply with local vaccination mandates.” The NBA said that more than 90% of its players had received the COVID vaccine. ARMED FOR BATTLE

*For reference, the WNBA is 99% vaccinated and the NFL is 93%.

Coaches’ corner

Tom Brady heads back to his old stomping grounds on Sunday when his defending Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL) take on former head coach Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. Brady has played down his return, especially after his dad's comments that he thought Tom felt "vindicated," leaving the Patriots and winning a Super Bowl with the Bucs. Brady's comedic response to his dad's comments included how his dad should know better at this point in his life, and Tom Jr. reserves the right to put him in a home against his will. DAD JOKES FOR DAY

What to watch
Things are getting exciting as we head into the last weekend of the MLB (Major League Baseball) regular season. There are four teams within one game of the American League Wild Card playoff spot - the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays. BATTER UP

Better Than Advertised

The NFL season kicked off last night with an Ed Sheeran concert. Oh, and a football game. Sheeran's NFL merch may not have lived up to expectations but the game exceeded them. Here’s to hoping your weekend does the same.

Thinking out loud,

The Last Night’s Game Team

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Remembering 9/11

Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. In the weeks following 9/11, it seemed like sports was the sense of normalcy so many craved. This weekend, teams across the country will be honoring those who were lost. The NFL (National Football League), MLB (Major League Baseball) and numerous college football teams have added pregame tributes, with some wearing special uniforms.

Select NFL teams are partnering with Tuesday’s Children, an organization that aids “families who have suffered losses due to the events of 9/11, post-9/11 military service or other acts of mass violence and terrorism,” to host and recognize a family during their home game. WE WILL NEVER FORGET

Overtime

The New Orleans Saints (NFL) were forced to move their home opener against the Green Bay Packers due to Hurricane Ida, but how they finally landed on the Jacksonville Jaguars stadium as their home away from home is interesting. First, Aaron Rodgers’ (Packers QB) numbers show he struggles when playing in Florida. Florida also gave the Saints the humidity advantage as their players are used to it. Then out of the three available stadiums in Florida - Miami, Tampa Bay and Jacksonville - they picked the one that would be the most expensive for Packers fans to travel to, so they might still have home field advantage. BRILLIANT

Sideline stat

LSU (Lousiana State) is looking to bounce back after their first game that ended in a disappointing loss. But they’ll have to do it against a familiar foe - the son of LSU head coach Ed Orgeron. Orgeron’s son is the quarterback for LSU’s Saturday opponent, McNeese State. The mismatched game will likely be a blowout, but it’s common practice for college teams to pay opponents from smaller schools for an easy win. In fact, LSU is paying McNeese $600,000 to play them this weekend. NO SUCH THING AS BAD PR

Coaches’ corner

The final Grand Slam tournament of the tennis season, the US Open, comes to a close on Sunday. We know that the youth movement of Leylah Fernandez, 19, and Emma Raducanu, 18, will play on Saturday in the all-teenage women’s singles finals. The men’s final will be determined later today, but we may be witnessing history if Novak Djokovic wins in the semifinals today. If he makes it to the finals and wins on Sunday, he will be the first tennis player since Steffi Graff in 1988 to win all four majors in a calendar year. FINISH STRONG