Sports devotion continues into summer

May 22, 2009 • written by Marry DeJong, 09-10 Co-Editor-in-Chief  
Filed under Sports

        Summer vacation is a time for sleeping in, relaxing and being worry-free.  Junior football player Bryce Jorgenson’s summer, however, is not necessarily this laid back.

        Sports require hard work and dedication not only during the season, but also in the summer.  Athletes’ summers are filled with camps, tournaments, leagues and practices that occupy their free time.

        “This summer we have a lifting program for every morning during the week,” Jorgenson said.  “It’s about three hours and it’s meant for strength and speed.  This year we have a 7-on-7 program on Wednesdays where other schools, and us, get together and scrimmage.”

        Although football is time consuming, Jorgenson and his teammates enjoy how much time is dedicated to the game.

        “We love it,” Jorgenson said.  “Wednesday night is our only night committed to the coaches.  The rest is all up to us and football is something we all really enjoy doing.”

        Alongside football, the girls hockey team also requires the girls’ year-round loyalty.

        “We usually have one or two tournaments and one camp that goes for three weeks in June,” sophomore girls hockey player Briana Keller said.  “There is a conditioning camp closer to the season to get us in shape, too.”

        The hockey girls are not required to participate in the summer programs; however, it is highly recommended that they do so.

        “Say there are two players of the same ability, where one goes to camp and one doesn’t,” Keller said.  “When it comes to the season, (head coach) Pat (Johnson) is going to remember the girl who went because she showed more dedication to the team and to the sport.”

        Head girls basketball coach Barb Metcalf often tells her players of how hard the competition is working to encourage them to work just as hard.

        “We have about 25 or 30 games this summer,” Metcalf said.  “Now multiply that by two and you have Mandan.  The off-season builds champions.”

        If given the choice, Metcalf would have all of her players play in the camps and tournaments in the summer.  However, she will only require them to do as much work as they choose to do.

        “It’s as time consuming as you make it,” Metcalf said.  “I wouldn’t force anyone to do anything if it felt like a job to them.”

        The girls soccer team is also not required to attend their camps, and although they are encouraged to participate, the girls are allowed to miss for alternate activities.

        “The coaches understand that we have other activities in the summer,” junior girls soccer player Kayla Miller said.  “So if we have to miss for a camp or vacation they are pretty lenient about it.”

        Instead of a player’s amount of involvement determining playing time during the season, soccer is aimed more toward talent.

        “The people that do a lot in the summer will be seen by the coaches,” Miller said.  “They will see that they have improved and they will probably play more.  Not because of what they do, but because of their improvement.”

        While there are athletes who would rather not spend their summers going to camps, some play solely to prepare for the upcoming sports season.

        “Some of us are going to miss legion baseball,” Jorgenson said.  “It’s not because football doesn’t allow it, but we want to make the most of our senior year and the way to do that is to put 150 percent focus on football.”