Sweat trickling down their faces, the scorching sun beams in their eyes as 9 AM rolls around in early June: the beginning of summer camp. High school athletes from various sports, along with those interested, spend their summer from early June to early August training.
Summer is a time for students to relax, travel, and live life to the fullest. However, athletes use this time differently. They spend their summers training and practicing, ensuring their steady growth in their skills and performances. But how do athletes feel about summer training?
As student-athletes gear up for the upcoming school year, they go through a variety of training and conditioning. To train their bodies for peak performance in preparation for the intense and vigorous practices ahead.
“It’s a great way to condition and get yourself ready for the season, which is immediately, once you jump into the school year,” says cross country athlete Andre Nguyen.
These summer camps help aspiring athletes achieve their goals by setting them up for success and pushing them to excel in their sports. Through conditioning their bodies, they’re able to push forward in their pursuits.
Here at James Logan, we are most notably known for our football team. Over the summer, the team has gone through some changes. The varsity team has recently welcomed a new head coach, James Barnes.
“I’m really excited and honored to be stepping into this role at James Logan High School. There is a rich tradition of excellence here, and I feel privileged to be part of that,” Barnes expresses upon his new position, “My main goal is to build strong relationships with the players and help them develop not just as athletes, but as individuals. I want to create a positive, competitive environment where we push each other to be the best versions of ourselves.”
Seasoned high school football player Danzel Mercado, currently playing as Wide Receiver, was there to witness and experience the process behind the new head coach’s visions for the teams upcoming season.
“It was definitely a mentality shift,” Mercado reflects, “We all did our thing and with Coach Barnes, he definitely put us to work, trying to make us a better team.”
With conditioning and strength training as Coach Barnes’ focus for the summer camps, Mercado remembers the regimen they worked under. “From the first week of June all the way up to the start of August, 4 days out of the week going from 12 noon to 4 pm, it was nothing but hard work. Everyone had their own assignment to make themselves better, to contribute to the team, and to get us these wins this season.”
While the football team dedicated their summer to conditioning and preparing for the upcoming season, so did Logan’s other sports.
Noah Defaii, an 11th-grade utility player for the water polo team, shared his experience at summer camp, “We basically did all conditioning, getting ready for the season, making sure we’re ready for long games, close games, and working on skills.” When asked what he’s most excited about for the upcoming season, he added, “I’m excited to win League and move on to NCS, hopefully winning our first NCS game.”
Summer camps especially get the players excited for the upcoming season. “My hope is when we start, I’m top JV and I’m pretty hopeful about that because the season just started and I haven’t played much but I’ve improved enough to be top 5 on JV and my hope is to grow even higher,” says freshman tennis athlete, Ved Brahmbhatt
For the coaches, these camps are held to bridge the gap between athletic performances from the end of the school year to the beginning of the next, while recruiting new students who may be interested in joining a specific sport.
Cross country coach, Tim Hunter explains, “Trying to gain numbers of people to start training during the summer, so once the season actually starts in August, we’d have a larger number of people fit to be able to do the training,” he adds, “If people are still thinking about joining, come join because numbers are the key to success in cross country.”
On the other hand for the students, it’s an opportunity for them to meet new people and strengthen their bonds with teammates.
“The most memorable part was just getting to know everyone on the team.” says junior cross country player Andre Nguyen
Through these summer camps, students can discover sports they might not have encountered otherwise, thus igniting new passions.
“I started this year in summer camp, so now I’m playing for the team,” says freshman tennis athlete, Jai Kapil.
In addition to summer camps, athletes are able to train on their own accord and refine their skills in their sports.
“Basically, water polo was the only thing I did during the summer, whether it be tournaments, club, practice, high school practice. Just non-stop while also working out in the weight room, making sure I’m strong for the season,” says junior utility player for the water polo team, Noah Defaii.
Being able to participate in activities one is passionate about, such as playing a sport, means summer can be a blast. When one does something they love, joy is added to an individual’s life and it creates a memorable experience. As shared by Andre Nguyen, he considers it “one of the highlights of [his] summer.”
Although summer training focuses more on skill-toning and team bonding, mental and emotional health is just as important. As they prepare for their intense seasons, athletes often have to confront various psychological obstacles.
“Definitely, I feel like a lot of stuff gets into my head and I don’t play that well,” says sophomore tennis athlete Olivia Nguyen
Other players also agree that nerves and anxiety get in the way of playing, “I feel like I also get stressed sometimes because I tend to overthink and it affects the way that I play.” says sophomore tennis athlete Danika David.
Summer break is meant to be fun for everyone, whether you spend it doing fun activities or simply staying in. Many athletes may attend summer camps, independently train, or simply play their sport for fun. How they choose to spend their summers contributes to their passion and dedication to their sport.
Cross country junior athlete Andre Nguyen says, “Now that I’m on the team, it’s part of me.”
