January and February are full of basketball games, wrestling matches, and swim meets. But what do other athletes do during these months?
A majority of players who participate in spring sports spend this time practicing in the preseason. The soccer, baseball, and track and field athletes meet consistently in the months before the spring season begins in March.
After students are released at 3:20 p.m., the school quickly fills with students looking to utilize the space in any way they can. With basketball players practicing in the gym, the track team makes use of the indoor track and school hallways when it is too cold to run outside.
“With distance runners, we’ll go outside as much as we can,” distance track coach Jordan Fuglestad said. “A lot of times it might say it is 20 degrees, but if there’s no wind, it feels perfect out to run.”
The boys’ and girls’ soccer teams will often use the stairwells and any other space that’s open for workouts and conditioning drills, but all athletes try to get outside as much as possible.
“It’s tough and gets crowded since space is limited,” Fuglestad said. “As long as everyone involved is organized, then we can make it work.”
Some athletes take part in indoor games or meets with their teammates in addition to practicing during the week. Sophomore Jonah Santos plays in indoor soccer games most weekends.
“We play against other clubs and high schools,” Santos said. “It helps get you ready for the season and have some fun.”
Track athletes also have indoor competitions. Junior Ella Ford is one of the runners that participates in these events. She will run in three meets during the preseason this year to help her improve.
“[The meets] make it less stressful for our first day of the season because we’ve already run three times before the season, so it just helps with nerves,” Ford said.
Santos and Ford are just two of the many athletes who work hard during the preseason to do their absolute best in season, and coaches notice.
“You see a different level of dedication from them, and then when you get in season, they’re more likely to improve because they show that high level of dedication,” Fuglestad said.
Practicing after school and on the weekends isn’t the only way players prepare for the spring season. Some players focus on getting on a good sleep schedule, staying off electronics before bed, stretching, and lifting weights. It has been proven to help prevent injuries.
“I think it just holds you accountable and gets you excited and ready for the season,” Ford said. “That way in the season you can be focused on what you want to do and not worried about getting in shape.”
The work that athletes put into the preseason shows the amount of commitment they have for their sport and the discipline it takes to succeed.
