During their respective sports seasons, student athletes are expected to perform academically and physically every single day.
Being a part of a school sport is a huge commitment. It becomes a top priority for three months of the school year, but for some athletes, the commitment is not restricted to their particular season. Most Leesville Road High School sports teams expect their student-athletes to show up for pre-season workouts as well.
Pre-season workouts are on a team-to-team basis. Coaches decide the intensity, tasks, and attendance expectations their players must meet during the pre-season.
More popular sports — baseball, football, and track — begin their workouts months before the sport officially starts.
Isaac Rivas, sophomore and JV football player, said, “We started [workouts] in the spring and played all during the summer. [Some days it would start] around 5:30-6:00 in the morning.”
As a fall sport, the football players are required to train starting in the prior spring. Leesville’s football program is built off of drive and work ethic from their players.
Rivas said, “[Workouts] make you go 100%. When you are by yourself it is easier to just slack off.”
Being held accountable for off-season work is one of the reasons Leesville encourages their teams to have workouts. For many teams, workouts are an opportunity to get bigger, stronger, and be motivated in a team environment.
Jack Fields, junior and varsity baseball player, said, “The pre-season is a chance for everybody to work together.”
Unlike other sports such as football and soccer, there is no baseball-specific weight room class that these athletes can join during the school year.
Workouts allow players to work on their strength and conditioning strictly for baseball in an accessible and controlled environment.
Not every athlete has the means to join a gym or workout on their own. Coaches like Jake Jones, open workouts for players so each one can improve for the coming season.
Coach Jones, baseball coach, said, “Last year CJ Carson jumped up 120 pounds in about six weeks…The main thing people don’t realize is that nutrition will help you a lot when trying to gain weight… We got a nutrition guy that kind of tells them what to do.”
Through the structure and resources provided during pre-season workouts, CJ Carson, 2024 Leesville graduate and baseball player, was able to use the time for personal growth that made a difference in spring. The baseball team now keeps up with the player’s height, weight, and max’s during workouts.
Pre-season workouts give Leesville Athletics an edge over other teams in the conference. Without the coach’s support and players’ drive, Leesville Athletics would not be the name it is today.
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