The decision to take an off term during sophomore summer is a difficult one, it's a decision many Dartmouth athletes make. Sometimes, as in the case of international student-athletes, the government makes the decision for the student. International athletes cannot take classes because of visa restrictions, and many will choose to return to their home countries to train and compete. Other athletes make a more voluntary choice, deciding between staying in Hanover to use Dartmouth's athletic facilities or returning home to play in a club league.
Sophomore summer puts Dartmouth, and Dartmouth athletics, in a unique position in the Ivy League. None of the other schools of the Ancient Eight have to deal with the decision to go home and train or stay on, taking classes and spending time with friends.
Sean Milligan '09 of the men's soccer team said that soccer players at other schools would be using the summer to train and play for club teams, but he believes that this will not give them a significant advantage on the field against Dartmouth.
"I don't think there's an advantage," he said. "It'd be nice to play on a team this summer. Most people for soccer play on a club team in the summer, but it'd be a long commute to go back [home to Connecticut] and play every weekend."
Milligan plans on staying in shape and training while on campus with other members of the soccer team's sophomore class.
John Gibson '09 said that staying at Dartmouth works to the hockey team's advantage because of the easy access to the ice at Thompson Arena. The proximity to training facilities encourages many athletes to stay in Hanover for their summer workouts, but keeps them away from summer competitions.
Gibson, however, will not be on this summer due to restrictions on his student visa and will return home to Alberta, Canada.
There are more than 70 summer leagues for college baseball players, providing many opportunities for members of the Dartmouth baseball team to face top competition in the summer months. As a result, most of the baseball players choose to take their sophomore summer off.
While head coach Bob Whalen does not mandate that his players leave during sophomore summer, the collegiate summer teams are an attractive option because they give players the opportunity to gain experience, meet players and be scouted by Major League clubs.
Pitcher Chase Carpenter '08 spent his sophomore summer playing ball in the Hawaii Collegiate Baseball League, which advertises itself as the "way to get ready for the next level even before getting there." Nine players from the HCBL, now in its third year, were selected in the 2006 MLB draft. For Carpenter, the allure of baseball in Hawaii surpassed any thoughts of staying on campus for sophomore summer.
"I gained a ton of experience and confidence that could not be replaced by throwing bullpens in Hanover over the summer," he said. "Beyond baseball, I had the opportunity to meet many great guys from other programs that I still talk to twice a week."
In choosing to take off for the summer, players are not just weighing their athletic careers. They're also thinking about their futures in the so-called real world outside professional athletics.
The corporate recruiting process takes place over the summer term that some athletes choose to miss. Except for a handful of hockey players, it is unlikely that most Dartmouth athletes will join the professional sports world, and missing out on corporate recruiting deprives athletes of an important tool for finding internships and eventually post-graduate jobs.
Carpenter weighed the decision to forgo corporate recruiting against the experience he would gain by leaving in the summer.
"Just like with everything else in life, it's a trade-off. By committing to playing summer baseball, you are also committing to taking classes fall, winter and spring. So a lot of the internships people do during their off terms aren't really an option," he explained.
For multi-sport athletes, leaving for sophomore summer is a great way to alleviate some of the strains of year-round practice and games."I am in season all three terms," field hockey and women's lacrosse player Ashley Hines '09 said. "I could be on [for] 13 terms, but that didn't seem like the best idea for me."
Hines said that most two-sport athletes decide to leave over the summer. She plans on working at Dartmouth's summer field hockey camp, an important program for both recruiting and player development, and added that she will be visiting campus often.
"I am more disappointed in missing out on the fun stuff that is happening at school over the summer," she said. "I think it is a great time for our class to bond as a whole, and I wish I could be a part of that."
