As the 2025-2026 school year came to a close, Miami University athletes looked forward to their summer break. Hockey forward Doug Grimes and Field Hockey back Kylie Coughlin shared their stories about how they balance family, friends and internships all while being Division I athletes.
Grimes said hockey training maintains its intensity over the summer with sessions every morning, Monday through Friday.
“I have a pretty good set up at home, so I’ll be home,” Grimes said. “I have a gym near my house that is very athlete specific with a bunch of trainers that are really knowledgeable and know the caveats of every different sport and what you need in the off season to get your body right.”
The team focuses on recovery and mobility in the offseason, skating once or twice a week until the season approaches. Its schedule is provided by a weight trainer on campus.
Grimes spends his free time coaching youth hockey teams with a few friends. They participate in tournaments and help shed light on what it is like to be a collegiate athlete. Grimes helps these kids get scouted and begin their student athlete journeys.
Besides hockey, Grimes enjoys weekends at his grandparents' house on Cape Cod. His family participates in a wiffle ball tournament fundraiser to support spinal cord injuries.
Grimes looks forward to seeing his teammates in the fall, meeting the new players and showing off the work he put in over the summer.
“[I’m excited for] getting back into the competitive side of things,” Grimes said. “It’s tough in the summer because you are just working, working, working, and when you finally get to unleash what you’ve been working on and show everything you’ve trained for, it’s just a blast to start up again.”
Grimes appreciates the competitive spirit of the team. Knowing everyone is working as hard as they can only makes him want to push himself further.
“The summer is a really good time for everyone to take a deep breath from all the [stress of the season] so it’s nice to have some time off and get your mind back right,” Grimes said. “Obviously, the work never stops, but it's nice to go full force and get as good as you can.”
Kylie Coughlin found a balance between field hockey training and an internship she had at Adcom in Cleveland. Her main project this summer was finding ways to get Generation Z more involved at a museum in town. She loved how hands-on her experience was.
For field hockey, Coughlin and the team received a summer packet of training and drills. This included three days of lifting and three days of running. Additionally, once or twice a week, Coughlin visits her closest practice arena at Kent State University for field training.
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“It was hard in the beginning because I wanted to wake up and do [my workout] before work,” Coughlin said. “It’s just so hard to get up and figure out how you’re going to shower and do your hair before going into work, so I ended up just doing it after.”
Working out at the end of the day resulted in being in the gym at the busiest and hottest hours. It wasn’t an ideal situation for Coughlin, but she made it work.
Coughlin coached for the club field hockey team she played for as a kid after the end of her internship.
“It’s fun, a couple of [the ones I coached] are committed to Miami so it was fun to get to know them a little bit,” Coughlin said.
Field hockey athletes moved back to school on Aug. 3. As the month progressed, training ramped up, with practices two times a day and scrimmages sprinkled in between.
“My coach really values us being mentally and physically fresh, so coming back [earlier] he believes we would burn [us] out early in the season, which is probably true,” Coughlin said. “I'm super grateful for it.”
Coughlin is looking forward to being on campus before all the other students get there and being in Oxford while it’s still quiet.
“Training is tough, but we are Division-one athletes,” Coughlin said. “We signed up for this, so working out should be a part of our daily routine. There is a way to balance it. I had such an enjoyable summer, working and working out and being on top of my game for field hockey.”
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