Bronx Science students take pride in not only being recognized as intelligent, but also as good athletes. Many of our Spring 2017 sports teams win their division championship titles each year. However, winning does not come easy; it requires a lot of practice and preparation before the season even begins. Spring athletes hold preseason practices throughout the school year, in order to get ready for their seasons which begin in late March or early April. Some of these teams include the Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse teams, the Girls’ Varsity Softball team, and the Boys’ Varsity Baseball team.

Preseason practices consist of a mix of strengthening, conditioning, and working on skills for the actual sport. For the Girls’ and Boys’ Lacrosse teams, athletes mainly work on lacrosse mechanics, but for Boys’ Baseball, the athletes focus on strengthening themselves and using the weight room. The Boys’ Baseball team also does running, aerobic workouts, football, and use weighted balls.  They do some hitting, but they do not focus on actually playing baseball. For the most part, preseason practices are very different from regular season practices.

“During the season, sometimes we run two miles during practice, so players must be able to handle that in one way or another,” Jessica Wang ’18 said, regarding the Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse team. “Obviously, if you’re in another sport already, just pick up a stick and start learning the basics like throwing, catching, and cradling, because once the season starts, many of the current members will excel very quickly and will be able to practice more advanced skill sets.”

“We mainly worry about skills, so we work on the mechanics of throwing the ball in general, throwing the ball at a moving target, throwing a ball when we’re moving, and picking up ground balls. Regular season practices are very different, because we do a lot more conditioning as well as skill training,” Kyle Mietkowski ‘’17 said, regarding the Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse team.

“Preseason training is a great time to become acquainted with captains as well as many other teammates.”

One of the main issues with preseason practice is finding space to play when it is cold outside, since the winter sports teams use the indoor facilities.

“It’s extremely difficult. In the winter, winter sports get first priority since they are in season. But when we use the weight room, it helps to alleviate the space issue a lot,” Wang added.

“It’s not hard to find space to practice if we go outside in the cold weather, but otherwise, we aren’t allowed to run in the hallways without adult supervision, so finding space inside the building can be challenging,” Mietkowski said.

The preseason practices are open to anybody interested in trying out for the sport, regardless of skill, experience, or previous participation on the team.

“It is really important for prospective players to attend preseason training. It is like an unofficial official tryout, because you show your work ethic and what you can do. At a certain point, we know who will make the team, and if you do not come to preseason training, it hurts your chances,” Max Gilson ’17 said, of the Boys’ Varsity Baseball team.

“Preseason training is a great time to become acquainted with captains as well as many other teammates. It also gives a taste of the dedication and work you need to set aside for the sport for the spring season,” Wang said.