Weather has made the start of the spring athletic season a slow one. With a snow day on March 1, tryouts were forced to be postponed. This meant a late start for the Crew, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, and Track and Field teams.

It is common for athletes to prepare during their offseason to stay in shape and refreshed for the new season. Whether it is playing for a club team, lessons, or simply just practicing on your own, there are countless ways to keep the necessary skills sharp.

“I prepared for Padua softball by practicing with my tournament team more than 3 times a week and that also got me very excited for the season,” Senior, Katie Twardowski said.

Other student-athletes stay in shape by being multisport athletes. Haley Quickel, a junior on the Golf team, said “I have prepared for golf by going to indoor lessons during the winter with my swing coach and getting out to the range or course when there’s no snow. I also play basketball so I get stronger from conditioning during the winter.”

“Team” is an important aspect of any sport. The friendships and bonds formed during the season tend to last as the seasons change.

“I am really looking forward to this spring season with such a great group of teammates. We can always learn from each other and we love competing at all the different courses throughout our schedule.” Quickel said.

The season is only a short few months, from March to the beginning of June, so it is crucial that the teams are able to focus and work hard during practice to have a successful time. Twardowski said that she is “excited to play games because we do so much practice and it pays off during our games and it is obvious.”