Following a successful sports season last year, UHS athletes are eager to return to the field to once again fight for the Trojans. They had been practicing tirelessly throughout the year, with summers not being an exception. Many of these athletes also play their respective sports with an outside program/club, allowing them to stay in shape during both the on and off seasons.

Junior lacrosse player Mark Kim, wanted to practice in real settings. 

“Going to tournaments to learn and improve my game is really beneficial in preparing for the upcoming season because it’s the in-game reps that matter the most,” Kim said. 

Although Kim explained how important it is to watch games, he prioritized active practice to improve and maintain his skills. 

“Over the summer I’ve just been trying to keep my [lacrosse] stick in my hands,” Kim said.

Kim also mentions a focus on staying in shape during the summer, especially because lacrosse is a spring sport that requires year-round practice beginning in February. 

“I did some light conditioning with the team and we also hit the weight room too,” Kim said. “Personally, I tried to go on runs at night around my neighborhood, and playing in tournaments helped [me] to keep in shape too.” 

Fast forward to fall sports, these athletes will begin their seasons shortly after school starts.

According to junior volleyball player Daphne Santos, she has been building her skills through individual lessons with her volleyball coach from last season to improve her skills while learning more about how to handle different plays. Along with individual lessons, Santos has also independently held herself accountable in the gym. 

“I work out in the gym, do cardio and do core exercises at home,” Santos said. “My usual routine at the gym is to weight-lift and then finish my workout with a few minutes of cardio.” 

Santos notes that keeping this routine has allowed her to stay physically ready for her upcoming volleyball season. 

Similar to volleyball, cross country is also a fall sport that starts just a couple of weeks after the beginning of school. This means these cross country athletes have to take advantage of the summer break to sufficiently prepare for their upcoming season. 

“The [UHS Cross Country] team went to Yosemite in early August to train at a higher altitude to prepare for the season, and it was a great team bonding experience,” junior Kaitlyn Carmichael said. “I stayed in shape by running an average of five miles a day, [running] track speeds some days and hill [trail runs] other days.” 

UHS Cross Country Senior Captain Ansh Parashar revealed that his mileage this summer has exceeded his mileage in previous summers. 

“Starting my summer with a 20-mile week, six days of running with Sunday off, and hitting a peak of 60 miles for around three to four weeks,” Parashar said. “I would run twice a day, morning and evening, and swim to prevent injuries and cross-train to make it easier to hit the mileage.” 

For runners like Carmicheal and Parashar, their endurance and physicality come from their everyday training, however, the most important thing for them is to have discipline and motivation.

“To stay in shape was simple enough as it’s really just running,” Parashar said. “Every other week or every two weeks I would meet with the varsity [cross country] team and we would hit a hard workout, such as 5-8x1k, 8x800m, five mile, etc. to improve our speed and endurance.” 

All of these athletes are eager and excited for their seasons to start. Since fall seasons are now beginning, students can truly access UHS athletes and their summer preparation.