Photos courtesy of Paul Julian
Sophomores Payzlee Andersen and Lydia Choate, junior Christian Almond, and senior Chris Navarrete are all ready to kick off the soccer season.
Pre-season conditioning is a ritual almost all teams do for every sport in order to prepare and get or stay in shape for the upcoming season. According to the Colquitt Regional Medical Center, preseason conditioning is beneficial because it allows athletes’ bodies to become accustomed to the physical and mental workload their sport demands. Conditioning is also important because it lessens the risk of injury later in the season.
“I recommend that athletes start participating in strength and conditioning exercises at least six to eight weeks prior to the beginning of the season. By doing so, athletes are able to reach an optimal level of performance,” Medicine specialist Dr. Rajesh B. Makim said.
For both soccer teams, preseason conditioning and open gyms have already begun. The next upcoming morning conditioning with head coach Nathan Mueller and Assistant Coaches Joana Utecht and Tara Dryml is from six to seven in the morning on Monday, February 12. Also, the next open gym is at seven to eight p.m. on Thursday, February 8. For the boys, the next conditioning opportunity with Head Coach Chris Pedroza and Assistant Coaches Julio Carreto, and Christian Lomax is on Tuesday, February 13 from 5:45 a.m to 6:45.
“As much as I hate conditioning, I know it will help me in the long run,” Almond said.
Both the girls and boys teams start their season on Monday, February 26, which is the first official practice.
“Going into the season feels great knowing I’ve done many things to improve for this upcoming season,” Choate said.
Just like with any sport, there can be challenging times, but the positive moments outweigh the momentary struggles. Almond, Choate, and Andersen like the friendships that are strengthened and even the newly formed ones through soccer, many of which start in preseason. Navarrette enjoys the improvement, both individually and as a team.
“My favorite part about soccer is getting better with my team,” Navarrete said.
Every story has a beginning. Almond and Andersen’s family motivated them to play. Navarrete was motivated by the opportunity to improve his skills, and for Choate, the exercise and the benefits of staying in shape for volleyball motivated her to play.
“My parents motivated me to play soccer, but mostly my mom because she played soccer and told me how exciting it was for them to go to state so I wanted to experience that,” Andersen said.
All the players encourage others to try out for soccer even if they’ve never tried it before, not just for the benefits of physical stimulation, but for the new opportunities they can experience.
“I would 100 percent recommend people to play soccer, it is such a fun sport and all the people are so nice and they push you to do better, not just in the game but as a person too,” Andersen said.
