Contrary to the name, the offseason is not a time for sitting back and relaxing. For many teams at our school, the offseason is the perfect time to get in the gym and prepare for the next season. Fall sports, such as football and field hockey, have found success in holding green days for players during the offseason. Green days are open to everyone who is considering joining the team and are a great way for players to try out a new sport. They also give players a chance to meet and talk with coaches.

For our football team, coaches work to get as many players in the gym as they can, ensuring everyone is in excellent shape for the upcoming season. As many know, strength is a big part of football, at Yorktown conditioning is just as important.

“We’re looking for other exercise’s that will help stabilize different muscle groups and make our team stronger,” Hicks said.

The extensive training may look tough from the outside but our coaches have seen constant success with these training methods.

The women’s field hockey team makes sure to get their players outside on the field before the season starts. Field hockey uses the open field space to their advantage. They split up new players with past players and give everyone a chance to get to know one another before the season starts.

“We make sure everyone is familiar with one another so when it comes time to play we play together,” sophomore Eliza Conway said.

Similar to the field hockey team, both the men’s and women’s lacrosse team spend a lot of their offseason time outside on the field. The men’s and women’s lacrosse teams at our school have the special opportunity of playing each other during the offseason. These scrimmages allow for players from both teams to get in-game situations and focus on other parts of their game.

“It benefits both teams because it helps us focus on our stick skills rather than athletic ability,” sophomore Nate Randles said.

Working on their game outside of the season has elevated their play and allowed them to rise to the top of the Virginia rankings.

While these teams have taken slightly different approaches at tackling the offseason, every team has seemed to relate in their main goals, strengthening their players. This does not have to mean on the field or in the weight room: a big part of our school’s athletic success is the connection throughout the roster. Coaches are also a major part of a team’s offseason success, because they spend a big chunk of the offseason making sure everyone feels as much of a part of the team as the rest.