As the nights get colder and the days get shorter, it’s difficult to stay motivated and focused on anything, let alone a sport that requires you to be disciplined enough to show up to training every week. But with ‘winter arc’ trending on TikTok, many of us are trying to lock in for the new year.
For those not in the know, the ‘winter arc’ is meant to serve as a reminder that, as temperatures drop from September to New Year’s, it is time for complete self-improvement. That means no distractions, strict gym schedules, and disciplined routines. For student athletes, this entails striking the perfect balance between recovery, performance, and academics.
Unfortunately, university schedules do not care about TikTok trends, with winter break abruptly interrupting training schedules and disciplined routines. Kingston University teams play their final matches of the semester in early December and do not return until late January, putting student athletes’ fitness at risk with several weeks without regular fixtures or university sports facilities.
“I feel like this gap is the hardest part of the season, we start off the term with such motivation and momentum working really hard to push each training session and game and then we just hit a hiatus for more than three weeks which totally disrupts our routine,” American Football Social Secretary, Stanley Ejike-Ume, said. “We need to build our own intense temporary schedule so we can keep the discipline until we come back.”
The winter arc trend allows athletes to focus on rebuilding and strengthening their personal performance. Gym schedules should be more intensive. With no training, athletes can focus more on honing their personal skills, such as shooting, ball handling, and conditioning.
“As an international student, I find it more difficult to stay fit and ready for the season over the winter break. People assume we just go back and relax, but as a student athlete, I instantly lose all that structure that kept me consistent and disciplined,” Saidat Animasaun, an international student athlete, said. “The winter arc trend has definitely helped motivate me to build a temporary schedule this upcoming winter break so I can stay fit and keep progressing in time for the season comeback.”
The winter arc may be one of the endless glow-up trends on TikTok, but for Kingston University athletes, it may be what makes or breaks the rest of the sports season. The way one trains when no one is watching determines whether or not they are a true athlete who is disciplined enough to prioritise growth over comfort.
