Our high school’s varsity softball and baseball teams are heading to Florida for a week of training, practice, and competition this spring break. The softball team will travel from March 20th to March 27th, while the baseball team will leave a day earlier, from March 19th to March 26th. Both teams will use their break to sharpen their skills in sunny Florida before the start of their seasons.
For the varsity softball team, the trip is focused on intense training and competition. Senior Zoey Hart, who plays first and third bases, shared what it’s like to prepare for the Florida trip. “The tryout process is very difficult mentally and physically,” Zoey said. “The mental part is very important because you want to push yourself as far as you can to show the coaches you are capable of what is to come, but you also have to be able to know your limits. The physical aspect is very demanding; you’re sore and tired, but that’s when you need to push through the most.”
A day in Florida for baseball is very busy for the athletes, as explained by Gavin Wegenke, a pitcher, catcher, and outfielder on the varsity baseball team – “A typical day we wake up for practice at 8: 30 we then go to FAU and eat at the dining hall for lunch. We then go back to the hotel and get about 2 hours to relax and hang out. we then go back to FAU for dinner and then we go to a scrimmage right after that.”.
A typical day in Florida for softball is also packed with activity, as Zoey Hart describes. “Typically, a day in Florida is you wake up at 6:30 a.m. to get ready for morning cardio. After cardio, we have breakfast and then get ready for practice, which usually lasts for 2-3 hours and is very productive. Once we finish practice, we go back to the hotel and eat lunch. After lunch, we have about a 2-hour break and then have a scrimmage. We scrimmage each other by moving players around and doing live hitting. After our scrimmage, it’s usually pretty late, so we get back, have our team meeting to talk about how the day went, and then we get ready for bed.”
While others may be relaxing during spring break, players are grateful for the opportunity to be in Florida with their team. Spring break for high school students is typically a time to get away from stress caused by school and extracurricular activities. It’s also a time to go on vacation with family, or stay home and relax. Going to Florida with teammates from school and having to do intense training can have very opposite reactions from players asked to go, “ It’s still a lot of fun but sometimes you wish you could go on a regular spring break.”.
Team bonding is also a big aspect of the trip, and Zoey recalled a memorable moment. “One team bonding experience I had that was my favorite was when we got into a water balloon fight with some people at the hotel while it was raining. We definitely won!” For both teams, this trip offers a chance to grow, bond, and prepare for an exciting season ahead.
