by Ashley Holcomb (’27) | October 6, 2023

People only see the performance of athletes on the field. However, many are not aware of what goes on behind the scenes. Matthew Holcomb (’25) is a pitcher on the varsity baseball team. 

But, pitching wasn’t always his position. “I had always dreamed of becoming a catcher, but I suffered two concussions and wasn’t able to continue catching,” says Holcomb. “When I was six years old, I watched [San Francisco Giants pitcher] Matt Cain throw his perfect game. And I thought, ‘I can do that.’”Here’s what he does during a day in the offseason.

Balancing both athletics and academics is important to Holcomb. He wants to play baseball in college. He also aspires to attend an academically rigorous school. To do this, he sets a schedule that he follows in order to check off all of his tasks. Holcomb understands that there is no room for sleeping in. He wakes up at six in the morning to get his day started, and his demanding course load requires him to be focused and manage his time well during the day.

With two AP classes, Holcomb tries to complete most of his homework during the day to devote more time to his athletics. “I single out every assignment that I have to get done,” Holcomb explained. “ I make a list and see which one is due the soonest, then divide and conquer from there.” After school, he heads to the gym, where he lifts weights to increase his pitching velocity and improve his muscular endurance. He works out for sixty to ninety minutes each day.

Holcomb then goes to see his pitching coach. During this time, the two of them talk about his goals for pitching and what improvements he should make before the season starts. For this upcoming season, he is working on his hand speed and his stride towards the plate. When in the bullpen with his coach, he practices these crucial skills. He doesn’t do this every day because he has to rest his arm to avoid injury. Part of the reason he visits his pitching coach is to discuss how to keep his arm healthy throughout high school, college, and beyond. These meetings usually take a few hours.

Finally, once the athletic day is over, he gets the rest of his schoolwork completed–he studies most nights in order to maintain his good grades. When asked why he puts himself through the grind, he responded with a quote from Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, “I am sick and I love it.”