Subscribe to the NCSA BlogSummertime Key to Player Development
June 30th, 2009 - byWhile for the average student summer may be a time to sit back and relax after a long school year, for the committed athlete it is time to get to work. A recent ESPN article shows the commitment displayed by many high school athletes in an effort to prepare themselves for their upcoming seasons.
On a humid summer night, the gymnasiums at Harper College in Palatine, Ill., may not be cool enough. The scorekeepers and officials may be somewhat inexperienced. And with no chairs to sit on at the bench, standing the entire game may be rather tiresome for the Huntley (Ill.) High School varsity boys’ basketball team.
But what matters is that the players get in some practice and face good competition.
To many dedicated athletes, the summer offseason has become extremely significant for improving and staying in shape.
The varsity basketball team practices weekdays from 5 to 8 p.m. They also play summer league games on Tuesday and compete in local tournaments on weekends.
Sometimes schedules can be grueling with summer camp from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then two games in the evening. By the end of the day, the girls find themselves exhausted, but they also will have a feeling of accomplishment. They understand that improvement in the summer is extremely important when it comes to finding success in the regular season.
“It’s important to work on individual skills in the summer so that when the season comes around we’ll be able to work together as a strong team,” said junior point guard Carly Goede.
The high school is not the only place where athletes are working hard at their games.
Senior Jenna Mychko, who has verbally committed to the University of Illinois for softball, plays travel softball for the Orland Park Sparks.
Mychko practices six days a week with the Sparks and plays tournaments on weekends. She has traveled to tournaments in Minnesota and Kentucky, and will be playing in Colorado on the Fourth of July.
Varsity baseball player Carlos Alvarez, a junior, keeps busy in the summer playing on a travel team – the McHenry County Hurricanes – and playing summer league games for the high school.
“I practice four times a week for four to five hours, and in total I have six games a week,” Alvarez said. “Baseball is my life.”
Summer camps and leagues are a great way for athletes to step up their games a few notches, keep active in the offseason. In the dire heat, staying hydrated becomes just as important as working hard. If athletes are dedicated enough, they are able to persevere – neither the hot weather nor the inexperienced referees will slow them down.
Hard work and dedication are key if an athlete wants to succeed at the next level. Now that school is out, you have a prime opportunity to put in those extra hours in the gym in order to meet the goals you set for yourself.
