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.

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Sports - because you’re going to need something to chat about besides the unpredictable spring weather.

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The Last Night’s Game Team

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College Basketball

When you’ve got to have faith. Sister Jean (pictured above) does it again! She may have not picked her own team in her bracket but the 98-year-old Chaplin for Loyola Chicago watched her #11 seeded team continue their Cinderella story by beating Nevada last night. The team will now move on to the elite eight this weekend. SCHEDULE

How are you doing in our bracket challenge? If you’re scraping yourself off the bottom, remember there are prizes for last place! RESULTS                 

F1 (Formula One)

If you believe speed limits are simply a suggestion. The first race of the F1 season gets the green light on Sunday in Melbourne, Australia at 1 am EST on ESPN2. Here are our Five Things To Know About The Global Phenomenon Of F1 Racing. No word if they’ll get you out of a speeding ticket for driving like one.

Overtime

Athletes are just like us in that they lose their luggage. American Airlines lost the clubs of LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) golfer In-Kyung Kim on a flight from Miami and simply couldn’t seem to locate them. The airline suggested she rent some replacement clubs in the meantime. As luck would have it, some fans found her clubs a few months later for sale for $69.99 in a Play It Again Sports in San Diego.

Sideline Stat

Buried in the government spending bill that you’ve heard so much about is a provision to exempt minor league baseball players from minimum wage laws. These players can make as little as $5,500 for the season (players do not receive a salary for spring training or postseason play). The exemption was lobbied for by MLB (Major League Baseball) and the reason? Some say without it, minor leagues would have to make cuts that could hurt the teams and the economy of the cities they play in. MORE

Coaches’ corner

If you don’t want to stay up for the F1 race, here’s another automotive spectacle for you. From the “not sure if this is a sport” file, we bring you Meat Fest. Drivers from all over the country will flock to Disney, Oklahoma this weekend to drive their off-road vehicles up rocks. (Yes it’s as dangerous and gravity defiant as it sounds).

Two of the biggest challenges of the weekend are rocks called Viagra Hill and Nasty Girl. Why Meat Fest? It has nothing to do with the mass quantity of imbibing men, it actually refers to the large width of the tires used on the vehicles. Overheard hundreds of times at the event, “Watch this. Hold my beer…”