FqÉ>ruary 2CT7
11
t
UDEflTS 9 A thlet
lain part of game
M
average leave time for injured
1 1 »,
players. Baseball and softball
Staff Reporter
rounded out the bottom of the
injury chart, averaging only two
Camps, weight lifting, leagues
player injuries over a period of
and open field time fill an
two weeks or more.
athlete's off-season. All sports
The Lions have had their
have a longer off-season than
fare share of sports-related
a regular season which means
injuries, including accidents
more time to work on skills and
that have sidelined competitors
to get bigger, faster and stronger,
for significant periods of time.
especially during the summer
Zach Sramek, sophomore, was
when school work can't get in
entering his first year on the
the way.
Varsity Football Team when he
Reed Nicholson, junior, plays
injured himself during practice.
basketball and baseball. Both
He was leg-whipped which
sports include important sum
resulted in a broken femur.
mer training and include par
Sramek was sidelined for three
ticip a tio n in sum m er b all
months and supported his
leagues.Summer ball for both
teammates from the bench for
sports have no practices and
the rest of the season.
only games.
"It sucks because you are
"When there is overlap between
or, is one of many working hard and nothing
baseball and basketball, I alter
who have suffered
feels like it's getting better,"
nate. The coaches know because
injuries. Kraus was
said Sramek of his injury.
they have a lot of kids who do
om tendons in his
both," Nicholson said.
rained it last winter Sramek is now healing well
and continuing rehabilitation.
Nicholson believes summer is
n training.
the most important time for off
Photo by Cole Fiala Despite his disappointment with
this football season, Sramek
season training for the sports he
?e players fell to
looks forward to competing next
plays and that summer ball is
ver the course
season. He is also a member of
more relaxed and laid back.
rhese numbers,
the Varsity Wrestling Team and
"Ithelps you work out problems
they are, could
plans to compete in track later
in your game. People get equal
iccess since
this spring.
playing time, so more play,"
ninately affected
Nicholson said.
The studies conducted at
md go-to player*
Ohio State University show
"I beleive the off season is the
ras the only s
that although son ^thletes
most important time for play
s lost nearly as
will sustain competition-related
ers to improve their individual
to competition-
injuries due to the nature of
skills," David Ely, freshman
tice injuries,
competitive sports, many sports
boys basketball coach, said.
ip the longest
injuries can be prevented.
The basketball team has open
Athletes can make a conscious
gym time to shoot around dur
effort to warm up prior to
ing the year and also goes to
an overnight camp at Gortzaga
practice or a game, and they can
recreational
University every summer.
suit up with the appropriate
rious forms of
equipment.
belly dancing,
eational
dance,
>wshoeing,
gives students a place to go
occer and
HlLLLARY K r IPPAEHNE & Him C i AVARELLQ ari(^ stay ollt of trouble, too.
d advanced
staff Reporters
"¡t (sports) keeps me from
st community
doing other things that I
Dproximately
Sports plays a big role in
shouldn't," Gray said.
n for two to
some student's lives, as they
During team practices and
find themselves running from
competitions, althletes work
is abound in
practice to practice and staying
together and push each other
irea, but a day
up late to finish assignments.
an be costly,
Students are feeling the pressure. to perform. Whitney Harmon,
senior, cites her trip to State
isit is with a
Callan Gray, freshman, plays
with the Cross Country Team
ou visit one of
both basketball and volleyball.
when teammates helped her
f courses in the
The two seasons overlap and
are played year round except for succeed by offering support and
providing motivation.
he pressures
two months during the summer.
"My favorite thing about
ying, getting
Her typical afternoon includes
sports is working together with
ends together
school, one practice, another
my teammates," Harmon said.
ill, basketball
practice and then homework
Injuries also add pressure
good way to
until late into the night. Gray
for athletes. Sprained ankles,
while having
enjoys her busy schedule and
tom muscles and broken bones
uses it to her advantage.
can have a major impact.
i the Portland
"Yeah, I love playing sports
Ldoor soccer)
and it keeps me busy," Gray said. Playing more than one sport
may become impossible, and
Lt exercise,
Although Gray likes the busy
physical therapy and rest
shape, gets you
aspect of sports, she doesn't like
become a major obstacle for
lse, is fun and
the time consuming part.
the habitually busy students.
;et new people,"
"Sometimes (sports) interfere
Harmon, who played two
ler, technology
with my social and homework
sports in the same season, cross
"You also get
time," Gray said.
country and soccer, for most of
awesome you
Sports can be a great social
her high school career, recently
your skills
outlet too. Athletes can make
had to cut back because of an
your ability a
friends and bond jt e r common
injury.
. M t of a team
interests. Being a ¿Sd
>open
UPES
training pays off for athletes
"Players are made during the
offseason. Teams are made dur
ing the season," Ely said.
The girls' team has a similar
schedule. A swim team member
_
There are more ways to train for a
sport in the off-season than play
ing it. When it comes to weight
training, football and lacrosse are
the teams which have the most
*
Solveig Lee and Erika Busch, juniors, practice lacrosse at open field held
after school on Wednesdays on the football field. Last year, the lacrosse
team had a great 7-1 preseason but lost in its first game of the playoffs.
Photo:by Sarah Chicoine-
who wishes to remain anony
mous disagrees. They said they
swam for a club in Lake Oswego
over the summer. The swimmer
said it the improvement gained
was not worth the amount of
work and intrusion into free
time.
off-season workouts. Lacrosse
has had scheduled weight train
ing workouts after school since
the end of September. Lacrosse
starts in February and like
basketball’s open gym time, it
has open field time for lacrosse.
During the summer, there are lo-
cal camps for players from West
Linn and other schools.
Football players usually work
out in the weight room year
round whether in class, during
early bird or during free time
after school. There are many
camps during the off-season
for lineman and skill position
players and two weeks of spring
practice before school gets out.
The team also travels together to
Vemonia for a weekend camp.
During the summer, there are
linem an skills dates, daily
weight training and running
workouts and camps scheduled
weekly. For the skill position
players, there are weekly pass
ing league games scheduled,
where another school will play
against the team in a pass only
and no linemen game.
"I would say summer is the most
important because (football)
starts right after it. The work
really helps," Erik Koczian,
junior, said.
Cross country and track run
ners paticipate in winter track.
It gives them an opportunity
to run with others and follow a
program to keep them in shape.
During the summer, people
who want to run get together
at Mary S. Young State Park,
the Cross Country team's home
course.
Soccer leagues go on through
out the year, indoor and out
door. They also have open field
during the summer each week
as well as a camp held the week
before team tryouts.
Demanding sports commitments put pressure on athletes' lives
£
At a game against arch rival Lake Oswego High School, the pressure is intense. Student athletes undergo tremendous
pressure at games where the competition is high.
Photo by Cole Fiala
"The deal was when I got
injured I could only play one
sport per season," Harmon said.
Tommy Patrick, junior, plays
football and basketball, and feels
that sports help him manage his
time better.
"It also helps make me
be more responsible for my
actions," Patrick said. He doesn't
really feel pressure from his
peers and coaches. "I play for the
team. The coaches just want you
to do well," Patrick said.
He believes that there is
healthy competition between
teammates. "The players push
each other at practices to do
better," Patrick said.
Playing sports along with
balancing school and a personal
life, can take its toll during the
season, but for many athletes it
is worthwhile.
"I love being out there and
playing with my friends. It is
just fun," Patrick said.