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Summer training camp sessions: conditioning year round is all part of the game

Nina Jackson
News Layout Editor

School may be coming to an end, but that has no affect on the serious athletes who find it essential to maintain a steady work-out plan in order to stay in shape for their specified sport.

During the summer, students will often participate in sports programs to keep up with the abilities needed in sports.

Whether students need to condition for a fall sport, or maintain their physical abilities for a winter or spring sport, it is important to stay in shape year-round.

Most fall season sports require physical training in the summer through the school, although many school-based sports begin earlier than the school year itself. For junior Andrew Rose, football’s intensity calls for regular summer training.

"The high school has a weekly lifting program that I go to, which also includes conditioning. I also go to different colleges’ camps in order to not only improve, but get looks from college scouts," said Rose.

It is common for other athletes besides football players to attend camps to improve skills to impress possible scouts.

Cheval co-captain Melissa Robey (’11) explains how important it is for dancers to constantly stay in shape. Although Chevals does not official begin until a few weeks before summer’s end, the dance team conditions together to hold each other accountable.

"We do sit-ups, push-ups, running drills, circuits and more, but we still keep it fun with learning new dances every now and then," said Robey. "It is also important to stay flexible, so being consistent in stretching and toning will ensure a body’s ability to dance, which is out main goal."

Both girls and boys hockey have extensive training programs and camps during off-season hockey. Sophomore Dani Wigan participates in a summer league with girls her age to compete in tournaments around the state, along with two or three training camps to strengthen her aptitude for further improvement.

When asked if the league was time consuming, Wigan said, "Very! The league is about every other weekend and the camps are three times a week for three hours each day."

Some students are just involved in summer sports because they finally have time outside of the school year.

For example, Amber Bornstein will be playing on a C2 soccer team for St. Croix with games and practices only twice a week.

"We do three tournaments, but I play with a lot of people from school so that makes it fun," said Bornstein.

Every athlete is striving for improvement, trying to attain perfection by practicing in various ways during the off-season. It is vital to practice as often as possible so that when the season comes around, they will be prepared to play at the top of their game.