Every team has tea and secrets. Every person has their own secrets, but the best ones come from the most elite players. Do you play sports? Do you want to be on varsity but aren’t there yet? Well, fall sports season is upon us. Here are some secrets from some varsity players and coaches at Ledyard High School. 

Maggie Dykes, a senior, is a three-sport athlete at Ledyard High School. She plays soccer, basketball, and track.  Dykes was asked if she watches films and how they affect her performance. Dykes said, “Yes, mainly in basketball.” She watches film with her team and on her own. She says she has seen a lot of growth since she started watching films and studying plays. It helps her identify and correct her mistakes, and enables her to study the other team. Dykes says it’s hard to lead without acting like a know-it-all, but she loves to abide by the rule of, ¨with every one constructive criticism give three compliments…You will see much more progress out of constructive criticism if you also encourage.” The last question I asked Dykes was, “What is something that you do that most people aren’t willing to do?¨ Dykes said that getting into the gym and lifting has helped her progress and has helped her stand out as a player. She also said that getting touches on a basketball every single day, even for 10 minutes, helps. She says, ¨It’s what you do in the offseason that sets you apart.¨  

To be a varsity athlete, you need to be committed and willing to do things others aren’t. Coach Emily Lehet, the girls’ soccer varsity coach at Ledyard, said that in a variety of athletes, she is looking for a player with responsibility, integrity, and commitment. She also said, “…that some skills a varsity player needs to master include fitness, which involves conditioning and being able to run for long periods of time. You need to master the skills that are specific to your sport. You need to be flexible and be able to put the team first and understand your role in the team.¨ 

Jackson Favry, a junior at Ledyard, plays a key role on Ledyard varsity football team. Favry says that the mindset that helps him push through tough practices and games is the goal to be playing at a higher level later on in life. Some drills that made a big difference in his performance were speed drills, such as ladder drills, and deceleration drills, like sprinting for five yards and then slowing down for five yards on a football field. Lastly, Favry said that some advice he would give a player who wants to make varsity is, ¨Work on and off the field, be a team player and a role model, and stand up for others.¨ 

Our last varsity player is a great player on the Ledyard girls’ soccer team, senior Teagan Caviness. A big part of being a varsity player is not getting injured, or being able to bounce back quickly and well from an injury. Caviness says, “You should take your body seriously, and you can’t expect it to do everything you ask for perfectly; you’re going to get hurt and have pain. To be a varsity athlete, you have to be able to take care of your body, for example, eating in ways that will fuel your body, drinking plenty of water, stretching before and after practices and games, and lastly, injury prevention, like doing strength exercises, and when you are hurt, going to physical therapy and taking it seriously.” Caviness said that if she could go back in time and what she would do differently, she answered with, “nothing, every step that it took to get here was worth it and necessary.” 

Even though secrets are supposed to be kept, the tea was just spilled. Now you know what it takes to be a varsity athlete! It takes time, commitment, hard work, responsibility, integrity, and you have to put in the work every single day. Every step is necessary. But don’t forget to have fun because sports aren’t going to last forever. It’s now your responsibility to keep and use these secrets. Good Luck! 

Staff Writer, McKenzie Dykes

Sophomore McKenzie Dykes is a staff writer for the 2025-2026 Colonelnews Magazine. She likes basketball, track, and hanging out with friends.