It’s fall season everyone, and that means spring sports! Wait, what?

That’s right, while the rest of us are pulling out our sweaters and putting away our beach towels, the springtime athletes are rolling up their sleeves and getting down to business with offseason practice.

No one wants to start the season with sea legs, unprepared and still regaining balance; it’s all about hitting the ground running, pumped and ready to put that game face to good use. What better way to kick off some great momentum then to just start the training a tad early?

Off season training it meant to keep everyone on track and make sure any prior progress isn’t lost. It’s all about the proper workouts, shaped specifically to their needs. But without the support of team mates by their side it’s easy to understand where motivation goes down.

“It keeps up the practice in the winter,” said senior tennis player, Raghav Goyal, “it’s hard to practice off season.”

That’s another thing. Team sports. Team. There are more than just sole beneficiaries. Offseason practices give the team mates a chance to get together and spend some quality time working on technique and teamwork. After all, a team that works together wins together.

“[It] brings the team together. We really get an idea for who the team is,” said junior Katie Highsmith, member of the lady Spartan soccer team.

It’s a new season, a new year, and with this comes the wave of new teammates. An added bonus is that sometimes the captains lead the practices, not only boosting the moral of the players, but allowing the team captains to work on their leadership skills.

With one of their very own leading the practices, it lets the teammates work on what they want to work on.

“[We] get used to each other, learn the weaknesses and strengths and build from those,” said senior lacrosse player, Lauren Zachar.

It’s not just about the technique though. Off season practice gives the players a chance to build the strength they need for the upcoming season. There’s a lot of fitness and conditioning during the offseason, working on muscle tone and stamina. Jumping into a game without much physical prep can be dangerous, upping the chance of pulling important muscles causing critical damage that could end the season before it even began.

“It makes it easier for the coach,” said Zachar. “It gives them the chance to focus on technique.”

The offseason may be a little rocky, but it’s makes for a better on season.

Zachar, Highsmith and Goyal all agree that “it’s worth it.”