Starting Tuesday, Jan. 23rd, the 2018 softball season will start off with their conditioning. Conditioning will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:45 PM – 5 PM.
To be eligible for conditioning athletes will need a sports physical. During conditioning, they will focus on getting faster and stronger, they will work muscles used to throw, hit, and field to be ready for tryouts on Feb. 19th.
Another benefit to conditioning is players can start to bond and get used to interacting. Building the chemistry now will help not take time from the real season.
Coach Nealan Chandler is the head coach for the varsity softball team and Coach Johnny Clements is the assistant coach for the varsity team. Conditioning also helps the coaches and players prepare for the upcoming season. In conditioning, the players will start off only conditioning then move to softball related activities after the first few meetings.
With there being so many seniors, the coaches look for the same amount of effort in the underclassmen. Age and grade does not hold much meaning. Players giving their all and working hard is what the coaches like to see.
Junior Jamie Fields is going to be attending conditioning. Fields has been on the varsity team for one year.
“Conditioning helps us by getting us in shape so it doesn’t take time from the actual season,” Fields said.
Fields pushes everyone who plans on trying out to be at conditioning. She is a leader on and off the field. She is leading by example in exercises and drills.
“I have been playing softball for many years. But if you are out of shape, it makes playing the game a lot harder. I have always looked up to the seniors and they are all leaders so I want the freshman and sophomores looking up to me,” Fields said.