The #girlsoffall are Back
Pre-season…every athlete’s favorite time of the year (please note the slight sarcasm).
Of course every program has to have a pre-season to work out the kinks and prepare players for the competition ahead, but fall sports have the shortest end of the stick, making our task tougher, and our grit and resilience even stronger.
Coming into a fall season after a summer away from sports, a schedule, and school means that each player has to take it upon themselves to train and prepare all summer long for our season that begins in August. We don’t have time to gradually build our strength and fitness- once we step foot on the field mid-August, it’s go time.
Although this can seem like a daunting situation, especially for incoming freshmen, training on our own over summer and depending solely on ourselves to get out of bed and make our way to the gym can lead to quite possibly the best athletes (in my not-so-professional opinion).
We don’t have several weeks or months with our team to train before our pre-season begins. We don’t have a coach or trainer breathing down our neck to make sure we are working hard. We don’t have a schedule or teammates to hold us accountable. Heck, no one will even know if we even ran at all.
However, what we do have is heart. We train all summer without a schedule, plan, or coach because we are the ones who want to win. We rise and shine in the wee hours of the morning to hit the gym because we want to build a program we can be proud of. We take shot after shot on the field without our teammates by our side because we know that while we are working hard, others are falling behind.
Fall sports have to rely solely on themselves to come into pre-season ready to hit the ground running, meaning that it’s all up to us to make sure that happens. The most dedicated, determined, driven, and motivated…the players with the most heart, passion, and love for the game…the teammates who are selfless, grit-filled, and eager…those are the ones who make up fall sports, and specifically, your Coe women’s soccer team.
Yes, the start of pre-season was a little rough with a strenuous fitness test made for a track Olympian (okay, not really, but you get the point), and yes, the first few days are always rough, but pre-season is one of the most beautiful messes I have ever been a part of.
We sweat, we bleed, some cry and throw up. We cramp, we cringe, we struggle to jog. We stretch, or try to, get taped, and ice our sore muscles. We moan, and groan, and wonder how our bodies will ever survive. However, among all of the pain, agony, sore muscles, and fatigue, pre-season unfolds the true potential of the season that lies ahead, making the long days and double duty practices worth every second.
Even after just three days and five practices, our team has already improved exponentially. We communicate more, have tighter touches on the speed, play at a quicker pace, and have a better knowledge for the game. We trust each other more, are taking risks, and are playing a style of dynamic possession I’ve never seen us adhere to.
We are being technical, smart, and patient. We are moving fluidly up the field, do not force, and have a better understanding for concepts we’ve never been able to grasp. We’re laughing and giggling and having a great time. We’re bonding, uniting, and growing closer together. We’re smiling, uplifting each other, and having fun.
In just 72 hours, we have already progressed towards the program the returners have always wanted to become.
This new outlook, attitude, determination, and drive is something so unique and so very special, and I cannot wait to experience the results that stem from these past few solid days of pre-season.
Check out our Twitter page for pre-season updates and pictures!
https://twitter.com/coe_soccer_W
Of course every program has to have a pre-season to work out the kinks and prepare players for the competition ahead, but fall sports have the shortest end of the stick, making our task tougher, and our grit and resilience even stronger.
Coming into a fall season after a summer away from sports, a schedule, and school means that each player has to take it upon themselves to train and prepare all summer long for our season that begins in August. We don’t have time to gradually build our strength and fitness- once we step foot on the field mid-August, it’s go time.
Although this can seem like a daunting situation, especially for incoming freshmen, training on our own over summer and depending solely on ourselves to get out of bed and make our way to the gym can lead to quite possibly the best athletes (in my not-so-professional opinion).
We don’t have several weeks or months with our team to train before our pre-season begins. We don’t have a coach or trainer breathing down our neck to make sure we are working hard. We don’t have a schedule or teammates to hold us accountable. Heck, no one will even know if we even ran at all.
However, what we do have is heart. We train all summer without a schedule, plan, or coach because we are the ones who want to win. We rise and shine in the wee hours of the morning to hit the gym because we want to build a program we can be proud of. We take shot after shot on the field without our teammates by our side because we know that while we are working hard, others are falling behind.
Fall sports have to rely solely on themselves to come into pre-season ready to hit the ground running, meaning that it’s all up to us to make sure that happens. The most dedicated, determined, driven, and motivated…the players with the most heart, passion, and love for the game…the teammates who are selfless, grit-filled, and eager…those are the ones who make up fall sports, and specifically, your Coe women’s soccer team.
Yes, the start of pre-season was a little rough with a strenuous fitness test made for a track Olympian (okay, not really, but you get the point), and yes, the first few days are always rough, but pre-season is one of the most beautiful messes I have ever been a part of.
We sweat, we bleed, some cry and throw up. We cramp, we cringe, we struggle to jog. We stretch, or try to, get taped, and ice our sore muscles. We moan, and groan, and wonder how our bodies will ever survive. However, among all of the pain, agony, sore muscles, and fatigue, pre-season unfolds the true potential of the season that lies ahead, making the long days and double duty practices worth every second.
Even after just three days and five practices, our team has already improved exponentially. We communicate more, have tighter touches on the speed, play at a quicker pace, and have a better knowledge for the game. We trust each other more, are taking risks, and are playing a style of dynamic possession I’ve never seen us adhere to.
We are being technical, smart, and patient. We are moving fluidly up the field, do not force, and have a better understanding for concepts we’ve never been able to grasp. We’re laughing and giggling and having a great time. We’re bonding, uniting, and growing closer together. We’re smiling, uplifting each other, and having fun.
In just 72 hours, we have already progressed towards the program the returners have always wanted to become.
This new outlook, attitude, determination, and drive is something so unique and so very special, and I cannot wait to experience the results that stem from these past few solid days of pre-season.
Check out our Twitter page for pre-season updates and pictures!
https://twitter.com/coe_soccer_W