'Tis the (In)Season
To many an undergraduate, the words “The Game” immediately bring to mind images of drinking, parties, and tailgates. But for the athletes around whom the Harvard-Yale game is actually centered, “pre-game” time has nothing to do with alcohol.
For many in-season athletes, limiting drinking is a given. This is especially true when it comes close to game time. So when other Harvard students prepare for Harvard-Yale by concocting ways to circumnavigate the University’s drinking rules, members of the football team will be preparing themselves mentally and physically to “conquer old Eli’s men.”
For many athletic teams, though, the rules for in-season lifestyle go beyond stipulations regarding drinking. From fencers to football players, social interactions, diet, and sleep schedules are guided by certain rules or expectations.
FAREWELL, FRIDAY NIGHT
Harvard athletes are expected to keep their team and its reputation in mind throughout their social interactions. To bring this point home, one of the football coaches forwards e-mails and information about instances of scandal or exploitation that took place elsewhere because of social networking sites.
Former varsity football player Ramsey R. Lafayette ’10-11 recalls an anecdote about an Olympic athlete being forced to step down because of risqué photos posted online. “It’s to remind us that being responsible on Facebook is really important...and how much more important it is now to be conscious of your digital presence as a representative of Harvard and of football,” says Lafayette.
There are other limitations on socializing that are more formalized. During the football season, players are allowed to go out only one night a week. Usually, players choose Saturday night. According to Lafayette, the one-night rule is typically followed without issue.
While he says that in general the restriction does not feel strict, he adds, “I do remember instances where I wanted to go to a concert during the week, and I wasn’t able to. Lots of sororities and other events on campus host week-time events, so...it is something you need to sacrifice.”
SUBTLE PRESSURE AND SELF-POLICING
Despite some teams’ formalized rules, the emphasis seems to be largely on self-policing. Varsity Football Coach Tim Murphy writes in an e-mail to The Crimson, “Our most important rule is ‘Don’t ever do anything that’s going to embarrass you, your family, or Harvard football.’ If you are smart enough to get into Harvard you shouldn’t need much other direction.”
Instead of fixed regulations, strong pressure is put on the players to do the right thing. Each week they go to weigh-ins, and are given different amounts of protein powder based on whether they are above or below goal weight. And while there is no specified curfew, 6:30 a.m. practices and early morning breakfasts on game days coerce players into going to bed earlier than they might otherwise.
Practice times are explicitly enforced. “If you’re late to a lift or meeting, you have quite of bit of physical—not really punishment—but a number of extra exercises to do that are not pleasant,” explains Lafayette.
SERVICE AND DEDICATION
Yet another unofficial rule is that the team intends to do one public service initiative each semester. In this the football team is not unique. This past Friday the fencing team organized their own public service; a bone marrow drive at the Malkin Athletic Center. The fencing team, even more so than the football team, relies on team members to maintain a responsible lifestyle for themselves.
“The coaches very much expect us to be able to take care of ourselves. We have to make sure that we are in the best condition,” says Benjamin G. White ’13, a member of the fencing team. “There aren’t rules, per se, but there are expectations,” he adds.
One of those expectations is that the week belongs to academics and to athletics. “Generally I just try to get my work done so I can go to bed early,” says Alexandra B. Kiefer ’14. Even on weekends, when there are no morning lifts, Kiefer says, “Coach emphasizes that we should try to limit the time that we spend partying. Most of the kids on the fencing team are self-driven toward healthier lifestyles.”
Ultimately, whether their coach takes a strong-handed approach or a laissez-faire one, how they live is up to the athletes themselves. White says, “For me it’s not about hitting the other person. Scoring a hit is a by-product of doing a particular action really well. And I love the feeling that, as a result, I’ve made this.” In the same manner, a touchdown or a goal is the result of months of sacrifice and work. Whether Harvard athletes specialize in football or footwork, they say success can make all the sacrifice worthwhile.