Peter Caty/The Mirror

Junior, Ryan Olander, from Mansfield, CT, was named a captain prior to the 2010-2011 Men’s Basketball season.  The seven-foot-forward looks to lead the Stags to a MAAC championship, as well as a berth in the 2011 NCAA tournament.  His days are filled with ducking through doors, plenty of basketball activities, and of course, the downtime we all love as college students. Most of us know who the basketball players are, but we hardly know them well. The Mirror got a glimpse into a day in the life of basketball player Ryan Olander.

Ryan’s Schedule

9:30-10:45: Class in Dolan School of Business

Advertising,  a part of my marketing major.

11:00-1:30: Practice and lift with strength & conditioning coach Mark Spellman

Lifting now is lighter then it was during our preseason and off season workouts, which is where I was able to build my Dwight Howard frame. In these early season practices we do a lot of learning. We also do a lot of shooting drills and skill stuff to get us in rhythm before games start. Overall practices are really physical and energetic, but a lot of fun.

1:30-2:00: Post-practice stretching. Change and  get treatment for injuries.

After practice I am usually pretty sore because they are so physical, but the ice bath always feels nice.

2:00-3:30: Lunch in Barone Campus Center Cafeteria or in my apartment.

Really had to work on my chef skills this year, my Mom spoiled me growing up.

Relax, Shower, Nap, Work on homework

This part of the day is nice. I like having time after practice to unwind and relax a little before I have to go class again. Also, I finish up readings and work I have to finish before my evening classes.

3:30-4:45: Class, Jewish Interpretation of Scripture in Canisius.

It is a really fun and interesting class, I enjoy it.

5:00-6:15: Class, Consumer behavior in DSB.

This class is a part of my major, so I like it. The professor is good too. As it gets colder, I am definitely not looking forward to the walk down to the business school.

6:30-7:15: Dinner in BCC Cafeteria

Dinner is always fun too. It’s real nice to spend time as a team outside of basketball, the guys are fun to be around. It’s a good thing we do a lot of running and lifting, otherwise Barone would have me way outta shape.

7:30-12:00: Relax, Homework, Eat, Stretch before bed

Sometimes it is hard to keep motivated after a long day like this. This is my busiest day and I don’t have any classes on Fridays so it’s nice to not have to worry too much about doing work that has to be done for the next day.

As a team, we’re just getting excited to actually start this season. Since we fell in the MAAC title game last year, we have had our sights set on getting back there.  From the summer on, we have just been playing against each other. We all can’t wait to see a different color uniform out there to compete against.  We’re a pretty close team and I think our chemistry will help us take that next step and get to the NCAA tournament.  I know I speak on behalf of the team when I say we would appreciate a ton of student support this year, it’ll help give us a home court advantage.

As you can see, a typical day for one of us is pretty packed.  Between class and basketball activities, it’s busy.  We still have fun when we can and this helps us get our minds on something other than basketball.

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