While many of us complain about the D-Plan, it presents a particular challenge to Dartmouth's many athletes, who must plan out their four-year schedule even before matriculating. The following are a few examples of sports and their respective required D-Plans, which range from standard to downright unusual.
Swimming and Diving: Fall and Winter
Members of Dartmouth's swimming and diving teams are in season during the fall and winter, which only allows them to take leave terms during spring. "Our main competition is during Winter term," diver Chris Plante '12 said. "In order to compete with the team, we need to be on all four winters, which is kind of unique because usually students try to escape Hanover winter as much as possible."
Soccer: Fall and Spring
The men's soccer team is required to be on campus during Fall and Spring terms. Many soccer players take advantage of study abroad programs offered in the winter, which is the only term they are allowed to travel off campus. "For my off-term, I'm probably just going to play in a minor league somewhere," team member Gabe Stauber '15 said.
Football: Fall and Spring
Football players are required to remain on campus during Fall and Spring terms, giving them the opportunity to take those wonderfully cold Hanover winters off. This past winter, many members of Dartmouth's football team traveled to Barcelona together, where they were "welcomed by the mayor and enjoyed a traditional Catalonian dinner," according to the Big Green Alert Blog.
Baseball: Fall, Winter and Spring
The Dartmouth baseball team is expected to be on campus during every Fall, Winter and Spring term and is also encouraged to play for NCAA-sponsored collegiate baseball teams during the summer season. This prevents many players from participating in sophomore summer, which Dartmouth students just can't stop talking about. "I love the D-Plan because it lends a great amount of flexibility to whatever you might want to pursue while you're here at Dartmouth," David Turnbull '12 said. "My plan allowed me to be off during the summer including sophomore summer to continue playing baseball, which is key because baseball is one of those sports that you can't take several months off."
Skiing: The 12-year Plan
Many of Dartmouth's skiers have regular D-Plans that force them to remain on campus only during fall and winter. Members of the U.S. Ski Team, however, are only on campus Spring terms, meaning they spend 12 different years at Dartmouth. "Unfortunately, this plan doesn't allow me to see friends other than the three or four springs we have together," skier Nolan Kasper '14 said. "Things also change a lot when I'm away from school for three terms in a row. I always wonder what will change next while I am away."
Basketball: Fall and Winter
Basketball season is during the winter, so coaches require their players to remain on campus during Fall and Winter terms. "Most people do suicide six' and take off their junior spring and summer back to back," Matt LaBove '13 said. Unfortunately, he said that this restricts the flexibility of FSP and LSA opportunities, as athletes can only do them in the spring or summer. "I feel like it just makes you closer as a team because you're always together," he said.
Tennis: Winter and Spring
Tennis players at Dartmouth must remain on campus during Winter and Spring terms. "Athletics definitely do affect my D-Plan here," Brandon De Bot '14. "Playing on the tennis team does limit the terms that I can be off campus, but I think it's a trade-off well worth making for the privilege of competing for Dartmouth."
Track: Fall, Winter and Spring
Track and field and cross country athletes at Dartmouth are severely limited in their off-campus options as they compete during Fall, Winter and Spring terms. "Because I compete for Dartmouth in the fall, winter and spring, I was exempted from the sophomore summer requirement and just did the typical fall, winter, spring all four years," Brad Kenimer '12 said. "I was here for sophomore summer working for a chemistry professor but wasn't taking classes."
