Juggling Summer Travel Teams, Camps, and Training: How to Stay Consistent in a Busy Summer

Summer is one of the most valuable times of year for athlete development, but let’s be honest, it can also be one of the most chaotic. Between club team schedules, recruiting camps, family vacations, and the much-needed chance to unwind, it’s easy for structured training to fall off the radar.

Many athletes head into summer with good intentions but end up stuck in a pattern of inconsistency: training hard one week, then missing the next two.

So, how do you keep making progress when your schedule is all over the place?

The answer isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing the right things, consistently; even in the middle of a packed calendar.

Start with Purpose, Not Pressure

Before you dive into a busy summer schedule, take a step back and ask yourself one key question: What am I training for?

It could be getting faster before tryouts in August. You may want to build strength during the off-season, or perhaps you're prepping for a summer tryout and want to show up confident and explosive.

Whatever it is, knowing your primary goal helps you filter decisions and avoid spreading yourself too thin. It’s not about saying "yes" to everything, it’s about saying "yes" to the things that move you closer to where you want to be.

Build the Plan Around Your Commitments

Summer doesn’t offer the same structure that the school year does, so you have to create your own. Start by laying out the “big rocks”. Travel tournaments, camps, vacations, and rest days.

Once those are in place, look for consistent windows to train around them. Maybe it’s early morning sessions two days a week, or a strength session the day after returning from a tournament. The specifics will look different for every athlete, but the key is consistency over perfection. Even two focused sessions a week can lead to real gains when done intentionally.

Make Training a Priority, Not an Afterthought

When the schedule fills up, training can quickly become something you “try to squeeze in.” That’s when it tends to fall off completely. Instead, treat it like a scheduled class or practice. Set training days and times for each week ahead and commit to attending.

If your schedule changes, adjust but don’t skip. This mindset shift can make all the difference. Athletes who stay consistent, even through busy seasons, build habits that compound over time.

Don’t Ignore Recovery

With so much happening during summer, recovery is more important than ever.

Hot weather, frequent travel, and high game loads can add up fast. Getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, and intentionally programming in rest days isn’t just smart, it’s necessary.

Your body doesn’t get stronger from just training. It becomes stronger after recovering from training. Skipping recovery isn’t tough, it’s counterproductive.

Consistency Is the Real Win

You don’t need to do it all to have a productive summer. You just need to do enough consistently. The athletes who show up with intention, even when things get busy, are the ones who walk into the next season stronger, faster, and more confident.

So set your goals. Make a plan. Adapt when you need to. And don’t forget to enjoy the ride, because summer isn’t just a break. It’s an opportunity.