Every year, the Miami University athletic department stays active from August until June. Fall sports begin their seasons before and during the first week of classes. Their schedules coincide with the start of the winter sports, which last until February and March, by which point the spring teams will begin their seasons, finally ending in May and June.
Despite the nearly year-round operation, each team has a brief respite during the summer when athletes can adjust to Oxford for the first time or move back in as they get ready for the process to start again. From June until August, they can focus on practicing, meeting new teammates and creating a routine without other students on campus.
The most notable difference over the summer is the peacefulness of Miami’s empty campus. With no students in town yet, the athletes experience a quieter Oxford. Football player Silas Walters, a redshirt senior safety, said this allows him to visit Uptown without a crowd.
“When I go Uptown, it’s way less populated, just like campus,” Walters said. “You can walk around peacefully and be in your own element. It's way easier to get to places – during the school year, it’s ridiculous trying to go up there on the weekends. You’re always searching for a parking spot, but it’s the exact opposite during the summer.”
The football team began its fall camp on July 29. Prior to that, the players needed to find a hobby to fill time as they moved into their houses or dorms and met new teammates. Walters said a common hobby for the football team is golfing.
“I’m a huge golfer,” Walters said. “I picked it up like two years ago, [and] golfing is by far my favorite hobby now. A couple of my buddies on the team like to do it, too. It’s kind of popular on the team … We’ll work out in the morning and then golf from 1-5 p.m.”
The summer also allows athletes to arrive in Oxford from a previous university and get adjusted to their new environment. Junior guard Mio Sakano and senior guard Clara Gonzalez on the women’s basketball team spent their summers learning about their new school after arriving from South Georgia Tech University and Jacksonville State University, respectively.
The women’s basketball team has helped the first-year and transfer players acclimate to Miami through encouragement at practice, team bonfires and checking out restaurants Uptown. With a roster of seven new players, building that team chemistry early on has been a priority for the RedHawks.
For freshman midfielder Hannah Ruggeri on the soccer team, arriving in Oxford in the middle of July was a dream come true, and one that she had been anticipating for a long time.
“It was honestly so satisfying,” Ruggeri said. “I’ve been committed for almost two years now … just the feeling of it all being real, and the fact that I can finally call this home, is so indescribable. I feel like I’ve definitely found my home here.”
Ruggeri will play for the RedHawks after growing up in Tampa, Florida, all her life. Before the soccer season begins on Aug. 17, she has been learning everything she needs to know about the town, college life and the Midwest, especially the inconsistent weather.
“The weather here is definitely different,” Ruggeri said. “It will rain for a minute and then stop and rain again, and it just goes on and off. It’s so confusing. I put on my jacket just to take it off and get soaked anyway.”
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Like the women’s basketball team, the soccer team has spent July and August welcoming the new players and creating a strong bond ahead of the season. Ruggeri said she can text or visit her older teammates with questions about everything, whether it’s about something a coach said or about her course schedule.
The older teammates have also helped Ruggeri meet new people and showed her around campus. Walking around town and watching movies with teammates have helped her prepare for not only the soccer season, but also her first year as a college student.
“Just giving it my all and more on top of that,” Ruggeri said. “When we do walk into the season, I want to be at my peak performance. I want to [play] good soccer but also make good memories as well because college is more than sports.”
As students begin showing up in mid-August, the fall sports teams will enter their first matchups of the season. Although the peacefulness of a student-less Miami helps keep the athletes focused, having an active and energetic campus reflects on the teams’ successes.
“There’s pros and cons to both,” Walters said. “It’s nice to have the students away and [to] really take in the city and campus, but at the same time, you do miss the vibrance of the students and the energy when everyone comes back. It gets you into that mode of, ‘School’s back, and football is starting back,’ and it gets your gears going a little bit.”