Ways to prepare for upcoming sports seasons
Becoming part of a new team means stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something new. When you do something new or become active, your brain releases dopamine, which makes you feel good.
An online story published by the online magazine Nature reviewed five international studies involving over 93,000 people, revealing that having a hobby or personal project is good for you. Participating in new activities can help you gain self-confidence and personal growth and enhance your adaptability. Morgan Pawprint sat down with three freshmen, Zoe Onofrio, Layla Anderson, and Lessandro Gonzalez, to learn about their experiences trying a new sport this year and what helped them to prepare.
Go to early-season conditioning.
Zoe Onofrio’s career in lacrosse took a turn in 4th grade when COVID-19 hit. At the time, she lived in Madison, and COVID-19 closed down all leagues. This year was her first year returning to the sport. Although Onofrio felt confident in her knowledge of the sport, it had been years since she had picked up a stick. To help prepare, she started by going to off-season conditioning. This made a big difference.
Onofrio explained that joining conditioning helped her feel more at ease with the sport and the people she interacted with. She said, “I started to meet new people and get comfortable through conditioning. It helped me meet people and get more comfortable with the sport.”
Go to summer camp
Layla Anderson decided that she wanted to play volleyball, as this was something new to her. Layla said, “I just wanted to do something new and try something different.” To help prepare for this season, Layla attended the Huskies girls’ volleyball clinic at the end of July during the summer of 2024. This camp Layla attended was three days long for 3-4 hours. 25 girls participated, 10 girls from Morgan, who helped out. This camp included learning the basics, fun games, and drills to become better at the sport.
Layla expressed that this camp truly helped her, as this was her first time picking up a volleyball. She felt as if this was a good way to prepare for the sport. Layla said, “I did a three-day camp, and it helped me prepare for the season.”
Watch YouTube videos
Lessandro Gonzalez participated in the Morgan wrestling team for the first time this year. As a freshman, he was a little nervous because he was not sure what he was doing. He decided he wanted to play because this was something new to him. Lessandro said, “It looked fun, and I wanted to try something new starting freshman year.”
Gonzalez explained that he needed to prepare for the wrestling season. He would do many things to prepare, such as getting good sleep and eating healthily. The one thing that helped him best prepare was watching YouTube videos to learn techniques, movements, and the basics. Lessandro said, “The videos helped me learn the basic moves and some skills.”
There are many ways to prepare for upcoming sports seasons, especially ones you have never done. These three freshmen at the Morgan School helped us examine preparing for the season and how it helped them.
