Fall sports at South are officially underway, and with most teams a few weeks into their seasons, athletes are remembering their summer training and how it has helped them to begin their season.

Varsity soccer player Alex Bower ’20 elaborated on the importance of off-season training for athletes before the season starts.

“Kids coming in are given a chance to sort of get to know everyone on the team,” Bower said.

Bower stressed the significance of bonding with teammates over the summer, both on the field and off, and how that improves the team dynamic.

“[Summer training] really gives us an opportunity to learn how to play together,” Bower said.

Varsity football and track coach Tod Hunter, who coaches different speed and conditioning training over the summer, gave insight on what a daily summer training session typically consists of with student athletes.

“What I normally have them do is run a lap, first just on the football field at South, then do short five minutes of stretching,then usually have them go into six to eight hundred yard buildups,” Hunter said.

Hunter described other work out segments, sled sprints, bungee runs, bleacher climbs and another session of stretches. The coach also provided his own view on the significance of summer training.

“Paramount. If they do that even two or three times a week, I guarantee you,  their speed will improve and they’ll be in decent shape,” Hunter said.

James Doerer ’20, a middle linebacker for South’s junior varsity football team, gave a rundown of his summer training regiment in preparation for the season.

“From 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM., I’m lifting weights, from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM I’m out there conditioning, sprinting, working on my form,”  Doerer said.

Doerer reflected on his goals for this season and what he has in mind during the offseason training.

“My mindset is to start on both sides of the ball, to every day get better and to keep working to try and help my team win games this year,” Doerer said.

According to Doerer, the overall goal for himself is to try to help the team win games.

“(Also to make sure) they have that extra edge that helps them get ahead of everybody else,” Doerer said.

Doerer is a firm believer in the benefits of summer training.

“I definitely do think it does (help); I think you’re better conditioned, so you can play through, and 60 minutes isn’t that much for you because you’ve been training all summer,” Doerer said.  

Varsity football player Miles Dearing ’19 summed up the rewarding and vigorous reality of summer training for fall sports.

“Each time I’m out there training on the field in the summer, it’s like a check that I put in my bank,” Dearing said. ”When the season starts, I can cash it out and leave everything I’ve got out on the field.”