The life of a college athlete is built around constant, steady improvements. Regular seasons serve as the central focus of their year, but the rest of their time is spent in the form of a training lab. They spend hours practicing and training both in a weight room and on their respective fields with the understanding that the time invested has an eventual pay-off.
Most of that time occurs during the summer when classwork is at a minimum. Their lives operate closer to professional athletes with a one-track mind geared specifically towards their work, and the hot months and dog days are more likely spent on a court or in a field than at the beach or in the sunshine.