Chris Redden ’15: This winter has been a mixture of extreme cold and intermittent snowstorms with no signs of relief. Since most winter sports like basketball, wrestling, and swimming are mainly indoors, the weather only led to a few practice cancellations. However, with the school year quickly picking up pace, we are already in March and spring sports are beginning to get started on their respective seasons. There is still one major problem that is being left over from what has been a freezing winter so far, and that is the ice. The icy conditions have caused us to all drive a little slower and take extra precautions in order to be safe. What should our athletes do to stay safe and still be physically and mentally prepared for the season to come?
Photo courtesy of Sammi Ciardi ’15
There are different perspectives between students and faculty. Mike Smith, Head Athletic Trainer, noted that, “The fields are hard and slippery, and that athletes who are not physically conditioned to begin training for their respective sports will be a lot more susceptible to injuries.” He noted that while getting in shape before the season gets into full swing is very important, it is equally important to “Do extra stretching and take [their] time when warming up to make sure that the body is ready.”
Photo courtesy of Jim Melwert
Lara Winter, Strength and Conditioning coach, was questioned about what our athletes should do before going out to practice. Winter agreed that a proper stretch is important but that athletes should come into the weight room to use the foam rollers and get a proper dynamic stretch before heading out to practice. This will make sure that the muscles are not completely cold before going out for a full practice and that the body will be ready for not just their respective sports, but also the slippery conditions that have been left as a condition of the ice.
Austin Morgan ’15, Captain of the baseball team, discussed what his baseball team is doing to account for the icy conditions. He noted, “We’re stuck in the gym because we can’t on the field,” but that they are doing all they can to practice indoors. This involves “lots of conditioning, to PFP (Pitcher Fielder Practice), along with defensive team plays and hitting. We are blessed to go to a school that can field the demands of teams being able to do something inside until they can fully begin to get outside.””
Morgan added that it was a shame that all the hard work that maintenance staff had done on getting the baseball diamond together was hurt by the sudden ice that we have been getting.
However, Morgan is confident in his team and sees potential for a season to remember. He concluded that they are, “Going for the league. No excuses.”