When a sports season ends, for many athletes it is a long time until the next time that sport comes back around. Because of the large gap of time between athletic seasons, it has become increasingly important to coaches and athletes to participate in some sort of offseason program. This is in order to stay fit for the next season and improve athletic abilities, while bonding with their teammates.

Preparation in the weight room offseason is now a key part of success in season. With the top notch weight room that is available to LHS athletes and students, a high level of success can be achieved.

Freshman Somer Luitjens is a member of the LHS volleyball and basketball teams, whose seasons are both over by the time the end of spring and summer rolls around. The volleyball team participates in a team lifting program three times a week in the long offseason, and it will benefit them as a whole for the season this coming fall.

“The lifting that we do in the offseason helps the whole team get a lot stronger and faster,” said Luitjens. “It helps the team and the season greatly overall.”

Also, the lifting that they do helps athletes to improve and meet their individual goals. It helps them look forward to the next season when they can finally put all of their hard work in action.

“I think it’s important to work in the off season because it helps me to stay in shape and get better for the next sports season to come,” said Luitjens. “My goal is to get stronger and quicker by the time the season comes around.”

This happens to be the philosophy of not just the LHS volleyball team, but many different athletic teams work hard in the offseason to uphold the great standards that LHS athletics have created for themselves. It has become part of the culture at LHS to be great, and it all starts in the offseason.