Most students spend summer vacation relaxing while others spend it practicing the sports they love. The majority of CHS fall sports trained over the summer in order to prepare for the upcoming season. The sports teams that practice over the summer are usually the fall sports, which consist of Football, Boys Water Polo, Girls Volleyball, Girls Tennis, Girls Cross Country, Boys Cross Country, and Girls Golf.

Two teams that spent hours training in the heat are the Girls and Boys Cross Country teams. They both endured tough practices six times a week for about an hour and a half everyday. Girls Cross Country practices had a variety of different core exercises and a lot of cardio. The boys’ practices were very similar and had an exercise called Pylometrics, which is used to improve their speed and leg strength. Although the summer training made it very time consuming for the runners and it made it difficult for them to take a day to themselves, none of that mattered when the runners realized the sport was such a big part of their lives.The Girls and Boys Cross Country teams are a very determined group of athletes. Even though working hard during the summer took time out of the team’s summer to relax, there were some benefits to these practices.

“The training has been more than worth it and I found morning practice a nice way to start out the day. By the time many people had woken up, we had ran and eaten breakfast, which gave a sense of accomplishment,” senior Kiana Cavanaugh said.

Running was not the only activity going on during the break. Girls Tennis was another sports team that dedicated a portion of their summer to training. This training occurred during the last two weeks of summer before their tryouts. The tennis team spent about two hours practicing at CHS every day. After stretching, the players warmed up their strokes with a partner for a few minutes, which were followed by drills.The girls tennis team, unlike many other sports teams, actually enjoyed getting into the habit of practicing everyday. The Boys Water Polo team is no stranger to long hours of training. Their practices lasted three hours and took place six out of seven days a week. The heavy pool workouts happened in June and July and then started back up for hell week after the athletes had a two and a half week break in between.

“Our whole team wants back to back CIF titles, so we will do what ever it takes to get there,” sophomore Ian Waasdorp said.

Another very determined group of boys can be found in the varsity football team. The football team’s full day practices began on July 6 and ended July 24. Their training schedule differed from other sports because of the multiple gatherings a day they had. The practices started at 9:00am and ended at 11:30am when they did their morning workouts. After that, the boys would meet up to discuss the important factors of their upcoming season. Practice then started back up at 4:00pm and they continued to train until 7:00pm.

“I would say it made us closer as a team and I’m sure everyone had fun. Our team chemistry has gotten better because of the summer training and will help us this season being comfortable around our teammates,” sophomore Solomon Tuliapupu said.

Girls Volleyball was another one of CHS’ fall sports that worked hard over the summer. Their six-week long training was very beneficial to the athletes. At 9:00am, the Girls Volleyball team was already prepared to work hard and stay focused on their main goal. This group of hardworking girls have had a very successful past and training will only push them forward.

During the offseason, many of the CHS fall sports teams dedicate lots of time to hone their athletic abilities. All this hard work proves that effort always pays off in the end. Such is a mindset that all CHS athletes put to use while striving to achieve athletic superiority.