At 7 a.m. most mornings in the fall, varsity track and field distance runner Jill Corcoran ’15 woke up and went for a run. But instead of taking her through Pine Park or down Rip Road, her daily jaunts brought her past Big Ben and the Tower Bridge.
While rigorous training schedules often prevent university athletes across the country from studying abroad, the D-Plan provides varsity athletes the flexibility to take terms off throughout the year, whether it be to work, travel or study overseas.
Corcoran and women’s lacrosse goalie Jessica Frieder ’15 spent the fall term in London, sharing an apartment in Marylebone just south of Regent’s Park. Frieder interned at the National Football League’s U.K. office, and Corcoran interned in a marketing and business development position for GO Mammoth, the largest social fitness club in the U.K.
“Training in London was awesome,” Corcoran said. “It was nice because running is so transferable. You can really do it whenever and on your own time, so getting in my training was no problem.”
Corcoran’s runs gave her a chance to get to know the city while working out, she said. Compared to Dartmouth, where the team practices every afternoon, Corcoran had to work around her schedule in London, doubling up on runs some days to make up for weekends spent traveling. Corcoran also mixed up her runs like she does at school, alternating between six to eight miles on weekdays while mixing in faster workouts twice a week and 10-12 miles on the weekends she spent in the city.
To accommodate the soccer season and training schedule, men’s soccer defender Colin Skelly ’14 spent his sophomore winter in Barcelona. During his junior summer, Skelly worked with the Philadelphia Union, a major league soccer team, and trained with a Premier Development League team in the Philadelphia area.
While abroad, Skelly trained with a local club in Barcelona, and they also coordinated his soccer training in Philadelphia. He also ran and lifted weights to stay in shape.
William McNamara ’16, a linebacker for Dartmouth’s football team, and defensive end Sawyer Whalen ’16 are currently on the Dartmouth language study abroad program in Rome.
Considering the team’s training schedule, the winter is the only feasible time for football players to take off, McNamara said.
The ability to study abroad sets Dartmouth apart, Whalen said.
“At a lot of other schools, athletes don’t have the ability to study abroad,” Whalen said. “Dartmouth is great because we can have the experiences we want without sacrificing our athletic commitments.”
The D-Plan, however, also has potential downsides. Some argue that it hinders team chemistry and performance, as athletes rotate on and off, and it can be difficult to train and practice if not all members of the team are on campus.
Skelly disagreed, noting that success comes down to individual commitment and that opportunities to train exist no matter where an athlete is. Taking time away may energize players to get back on the field when they return to campus, he said.
“When the team is reunited, there is a level of enthusiasm that is often lost amongst the grind of college athletics.”
Heavyweight rower William Johnson ’16 currently plans to take a fall off term. He hopes to either get a teaching internship in the U.K. or an internship in New York City. Rowing lends itself well to individual training, and Johnson said he is focused on ensuring that he maintains a level of training consistent with that of his peers on campus, which could include as little as an hour on the erg each day.
The Dartmouth baseball team has unique off-term guidelines. Baseball players are on campus for the whole year, but they take every summer off, including sophomore summer, to play baseball around the country.
Pitcher Beau Sulser ’16 said he is excited about his summer trip even though it means missing out on the experience to bond with members of his class.
“Although we will miss activities on campus,” he said, “I do think it is a positive for the success of the baseball team and gives our players the best shot to continue their baseball careers after college.”
