Bonding, Strength and Stability: The girls soccer team is preparing for the upcoming season with conditiong that builds team chemistry

“What would your spirit animal be?” 

As they stretched on the floor of the weights agility room, the girls went around in a circle and shared their answers. Senior Gia Tuso listened as some picked dogs, a couple opted for cats and when it was her turn, she chose a meerkat.

Stretching is a must before the athletes start their pre-season soccer conditioning after school. But simple things like the question of the day —whether it’s about spirit animals or places they’d like to visit —  help the girls bond and get ready for the upcoming season. 

“[The conditioning] is pretty fun, I feel like nobody’s taking it to a super serious level,” Tuso said. “Even Coach Kelly can joke around too sometimes, like he’s focused of course, but having fun with it too. We can make it a positive environment while we’re still getting some good work in.”

The conditioning sessions are open to girls of all grade levels to help prepare them for tryouts starting on March 3 and the upcoming season. The sessions typically last about an hour after school every day. The girls do their workouts wherever possible, whether that means jogging through empty halls, sprinting up and down the ramps or doing core workouts in the cafeteria.

Tuso started going to conditioning sessions during her freshman year. This year she’s tried to attend as many sessions as possible.

“I want to have the best preparation for the season as I can, like previous years, I just want to make sure I’m showing up and proving that I want to be on the team and want to have a spot,” Tuso said. “A couple other friends have been coming as well, so it’s been fun to work out with them as a group too.”

Freshman Carmen Carroll first learned about the conditioning sessions through a pre-season soccer meeting. Carroll was hesitant at first because she didn’t know who would be there or what exercises they would be doing, but after she went to one, she started going 2-3 times a week.

“After I tried it out I realized it was fun, but also really helpful, so I kept going,” Carroll said. “It helped me stay more committed, and we were doing things, some that applied to what we would be doing at tryouts, things like cardio and strength.”

The conditioning sessions are more than just a physical boot camp for freshmen like Carroll; they help freshmen get comfortable around their future teammates. Amidst the rhythmic pounding of feet in the hallways, laughter can be heard echoing during water breaks and animated conversations flow as they jog side by side. They’re not just breaking a sweat—they’re building friendships.

“I feel like everyone just tries to maintain a positive attitude and not get down about what we’re doing,” Tuso said. “We just hang out while working out. I haven’t gone to conditioning yet and had a negative atmosphere, or anybody be upset about us doing our workouts or anything.”

The conditioning sessions are also some of the only times before tryouts when players can interact with head coach James Kelly.

“I had seen him at different soccer meetings and things, but the conditioning is really the first time I actually talked to him and actually got to know what he’s like,” Carroll said. “He’s a really fun guy.”

Kelly often oversees the inside workout sessions but when the weather is nice enough the girls will scrimmage outside. Due to the rules of the Kansas State High School Activities Association, Kelly cannot be present while the girls practice “sport-specific” skills so it’s up to the upperclassmen to organize the games.

Senior Sophia Beedle hasn’t been able to participate in conditioning this year due to a torn ACL, but she remembers how helpful the outdoor sessions were for her when she was an underclassman.

“They made me a lot less nervous because you get to know the girls and the upperclassmen as well,” Beedle said. “It’s also coachless and more captain-led so there’s less pressure, for sure.”

The girls typically play on different teams during the fall club season, so they don’t have much experience playing with each other. The outside sessions not only help the girls maintain technical skills, but according to Carroll, they also introduce underclassmen to the intensity of the older girls’ play.

“It’s definitely shown me the different styles of play that people have and the different levels of play that there can be,” Carroll said. “I do feel like getting to play with the girls has made me more confident for tryouts though. I feel like I know what I’m getting into now.”