It has been a winter of running hallways, and juggling available space to get spring athletes prepared for the season. Preseason conditioning looks different for every sport to work around each other.
“We’ve been doing quite a bit,” boys soccer coach Chris Simley said. “Starting in November we did open gym nights on Wednesdays where guys can come scrimmage on their own. Then in January we began preseason workouts where we have been lifting and running Monday-Thursday.”
Not all spring athletes have time during the winter to focus on their spring sport. Senior Tommy Strohman is one of them.
“Well, me personally, I don’t play golf in the winter, I play hockey, but throughout the spring I’ve just been trying to get on the course as it gets nicer,” senior Tommy Strohman said.
A handful of spring athletes are busy during the winter playing a sport for the high school or a club which keeps them in shape for the spring season.
“I decided I was going to do wrestling, senior Sam Leinen said. “So the conditioning from wrestling is keeping me in shape.”
There are many things to look forward to as an athlete when thinking ahead to the spring season.
“I am looking forward to hanging out with friends because track is a very social sport,” Leinen said. “I like being able to talk to my friends during the meets.”
Many athletes are looking forward to the social aspects of playing a high school sport, however, to add onto the social part of sports some are also looking forward to growing as an individual and as a team.
“I am looking forward to getting better through the season, as well as challenging myself and meeting new people to grow connections within the team,” junior tennis player Emmy McElhose said.
Having individual goals as an athlete can lead to success in the game, but setting team goals can help getting far in post-season games.
“I’m looking forward to making it to state,” senior soccer player Emily Frain said. “I think that we will be good enough this year to host a district final game and make it to state.”
