For members of the Guilford College football team, the bye week came at a crucial time.
Coming off of the first 3 – 0 start for Guilford College football since 2007, we are excited to begin what truly matters: the conference schedule.
On Saturday, Oct. 4, we begin the Old Dominion Athletic Conference schedule with a game against Washington and Lee University.
But between now and then, the team gets to enjoy some well-earned time off to heal up and rest.
While, as a player, you would like to play a game each Saturday, the bye week is vital to the team’s success.
There are still many activities that take place during this week. One of the main goals is to get players healthy and back on the gridiron.
Every football team has players who get banged up. The bye week is the best time for a player to heal so that they can get back onto the field.
“The bye week was essential,” said sophomore defensive lineman Mitchell Skidmore.
“After coming off an injury, the bye week gave me time to get in shape and also ease back into the practice schedule.”
The bye week also helps the coaches adjust the game plan as we enter into conference play.
We collectively get an extra week to prepare ourselves for our first conference opponent.
Another aspect of the bye week is time in the training and weight rooms.
While a guy may not necessarily be injured, just getting a few days off from practice can help a player get over the soreness that a month and a half of football can put on the body.
Some Quaker players took advantage of the bye weekend to make an impact in our community.
Senior offensive lineman Drew Milot, sophomore defensive lineman Mitchell Skidmore, junior linebacker Daytwyn Rascoe and sophomore wide receiver C.J. Hobbs all participated in helping with the Challenger Sports League conduct a special needs softball game.
“Being able to take part in something larger than myself and incorporate my love of sports, while simultaneously giving back to my community, was an incredible experience,” said Milot.
While a team loves having the opportunity to play each week, it is important that the team takes a break from the grind of football.
We are excited to get back on the field and start preparing for the gauntlet that is ODAC conference play.
To that end, our quest begins against Washington and Lee, where we take the first step towards the ODAC championship.
