WOODBURY — For most students, summer means fun, but for some it is a time for hard work.
Over summer break, fall sport athletes worked hard to get ready for the incoming season. Many coaches and players put in time and effort into preparation, and for some, summer fun and hard work can intermix.
Eliza Butkus, a freshman girls soccer player, believes it’s important to have fun in preseason sports.
“Working on our skills and just getting to know each other before the season starts is a large part of preseason work,” said Butkus.
The summer practices don’t always have to be stressful. Summer practices area great way to have fun.
“Summer practices are just like really fun to go to. It’s like a hangout while doing the sport you love playing,” says Butkus.
New freshmen look beyond having fun with their friends. Summer practices can help teams bond together.
“It helps learning who everyone is and knowing your strengths [and] getting to know the team before the season starts,” Butkus said.
Not only does summer work bring team bonding, but also coaches see growth in players’ skills. Janet Crocker, Nonnewaug’s field hockey coach, feels that many players developed over this summer.
“The players who regularly attended the summer practices learned more advanced skills and were ready for the conditioning come preseason,” Crocker said.
Practicing is essential to excel for all sports, and most coaches agree.
“You can’t just show up on the first day of preseason and expect success,” Crocker said.
Along with great opportunities to grow through practicing a sport comes challenges, too. Crocker found some speedbumps on the way to summer success.
“We had only two or three students with their driver’s license, so getting rides to practices over the summer was an issue,” Crocker said.
From busy schedules with our working students, time commitments may get in the way, along with getting to practice. But sometimes, it can be all worth it, from growth and bonding shown over playing the sport you love.
“Knowing each other more, like hanging out,” Butkus said, “is important for a successful season.”
