Delaware Sports Blitz Interview: Delaware Tech’s Joe Volk

Photo: Delaware Technical Community College

Delaware Technical Community College student-athletes interviews are back! Every Thursday, Delaware Sports Blitz will feature interviews with student-athletes from the Community College.

The student-athlete we are featuring this week comes from Delaware Tech’s men’s cross-country team, which is Joe Volk.

Volk talks about everything from how he keeps himself in gameday shape during the offseason to the best part of being on a team.

Check out it below!

Related:

Delaware Sports Blitz Interview: Delaware Tech’s Alexcia Sutton

How did you start playing sports?
“I started playing sports because my parents knew I like to be active and involved in many fun extracurricular activities.”

What adjustments did you have to make from the jump of high school to college, regarding the sport you play?
“For me, I just took one step at a time and put in the work and effort for every single practice. I also learned to keep things simple and to have fun competing.”

How do you keep yourself in game shape in the off-season for your sport?
“I used the training calendars my coaches provided me with for each month. I also took care of any ailing injuries that’s been bothering me, such as shin splints. Again, I did little things like icing my leg, stretching all needed muscle groups, and doing exercises to strengthen all my leg muscles.”

What is the best part of playing your sport?    

“I think the best part of running is leading my other teammates and helping to make them better.”

What has a former or current coach taught you, that you still use today on or off the playing field?
“My former coach Patrick Boettcher taught me to always have fun and do the best I can every single day, including race days.”

What is a typical day for you when the season is in full force?
“A typical day I prefer is the hard workout days.”

What do you feel is your greatest strength?
“I feel my greatest strength is being hard working.”

What do you feel you are weakest at and what do you work on to improve it?
“I feel my greatest weakness is time management. What I could do to improve that is by making a day-to-day schedule to keep myself organized, so I could get everything done for that day.”

Describe some of the highlights of your athletic career.
“One of the greatest highlights in my athletic career is almost placing at the high school Blue Hen Conference Championship Cross Country Meet, back in the fall of 2019.”

What is the best part of playing on a team?

“The best part of playing on a team is getting to know new teammates by spending time with them.”

How do you stay motivated during the highs and lows of a season?
“The way I stay motivated is by finding my happy place, such as reading a book or watching my favorite TV show.”

What has been the biggest challenge you have faced and how did you overcome it?
“The biggest challenge I have faced was dealing with health problems like getting severe headaches. The way I have overcome it was by trying different medications to help get rid of my headaches.”

In what ways, does playing a sport, help you with your studies?
“First off, playing a sport motivates me to work harder on class assignments. Then it also takes away all my stress from doing so homework in the week or before and after taking a test.”

Why did you choose to play at Delaware Tech?
“I chose to play for Delaware Tech because of the seed scholarship and athletic scholarship that pays for my textbooks every semester being here. It is also a fun environment to be in since it’s close to where I live.”