Spring athletes need to prepare for tryouts over the winter, but this isn’t necessarily the easiest thing to do when they are buried in the snow. Most have their tryouts in the last couple weeks of February, at the peak of the snow season, but spring athletes have to find opportunities to maximize their game even when school is cancelled.
Baseball players, like sophomore Parker McLamb, are already preparing for tryouts.
“Right now I’m lifting and working on my swing,” McLamb said. “In the winter is when I make big changes to my swing or throwing motions but in season I work on minor things.”
A lot of athletes agree that they can make the biggest difference to their games during the winter.
“During the winter I focus more on getting stronger and faster since I have more time with no games,” junior Ally Kurland, a varsity softball player, said.
Senior Jessica Berlin, a varsity girl’s soccer player, knows that her training in the offseason will have a big impact on how they play during the season.
“I think the most important thing an athlete can do is to keep in shape,” Berlin said. “Nothing is worse than starting a season feeling sluggish and out of breath.”
Athletes know that their winter training regimen can make or break their season.
“I think the most important thing for spring athletes to do is to stay in midseason form,” McLamb said.
Some spring teams have athletes work out in groups over the winter so that players are at their peak performance at the tryouts.
“To prepare for high school soccer, I play with my club soccer team, Annandale United FC. My club team plays and trains year round so I am always in shape for soccer,” Berlin said.
No matter how they do it, athletes get ready for the early spring tryouts.
“The most important thing to do in the winter is get strong for the upcoming season to be able to perform at your best,” Kurland said.