Joining a sports team, or any club, is a great way to immerse yourself in the culture here at LHS. Sports organizations are a great way to make new friends and stay in shape. Are you an athlete? Are you planning to join one of the LHS teams this upcoming year? Here are some things you should know going into the summer and season!

It’s no secret that when starting something new we, as people, get nervous. Remember that when you go into the season and everyone on the team was once a freshman too. Some were in your exact place the year before. Go into the season with an open mind, and be ready to learn. No matter how good you are, you can always get better. Every day plan to go to practice locked in and strive to work to improve your skills. 

Some of the sports offered at LHS provide workouts of some type over the summer that are meant to help you when going into the season. This year, the CIAC changed the rules for summer workouts. The rules state that all students and coaches who want to participate in strength and conditioning or sport-specific instruction may do so starting June 10 until August 10, for a max of two days per week and two hours per day of sport-specific instruction, so long as the athlete is registered on family ID. This rule changes the previous rule which did not allow coaches to work with their athletes over the summer on sport-specific activities. All sports at LHS will comply with this new rule, however, it is important to note that not all coaches will be offering summer practices, so get in touch with the coach or maybe someone on the team, or even our Athletic Director, Mr. Buonocore by emailing him at jbuonocore@ledyard.net.

 Over the summer, it is good to do some conditioning as well as attend any and as many of the get-togethers for your team as possible! The grind shouldn’t halt over the summer if anything, it intensifies it! It’s so nice outside, go for a run on the beach, or do a workout outside! Planet Fitness offers a high school summer pass where high school students can register for free membership until August 31st. There are so many ways to stay or become active. Staying active over the summer will help to maintain and even improve your overall conditions and can give you a kick start on the season! 

Make sure to remember that you are a student-athlete. The student part comes before the athlete part. However, don’t let your classes scare you away from joining a team! While doing a sport is time-consuming and can sometimes feel overwhelming for someone who is not used to the schedules, you are still expected to stay on top of your grades and assignments. Here at Ledyard High School, even if you meet the CIAC academic eligibility requirements, but don’t meet the Ledyard academic eligibility requirements you will still have to attend an after-school work session to get your grades up. In some cases, you will be removed from your team if your grades are not up to standard. So stay on top of those grades! 

The good news for rising freshmen is that this does not apply to you for the fall sports season. Your eighth-grade GPA won’t have an impact, so you will only have to attend a work session, but you will be able to keep your place on the team. However, the GPA requirement comes into play for freshmen as well for the winter and spring seasons. 

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Lia Day, Staff Writer

Junior Lia Day is a staff writer for the 2023-2024 Colonel Newsmagazine. She likes to play with her dog and cat, read, play soccer and tennis, and play games.

Sarah Vincent, Staff Writer

Junior Sarah Vincent is a staff writer for the 2023-2024 Colonel Newsmagazine. She likes Taylor Swift, sea otters, and drinking iced coffee.