Summer training makes the difference between good athletes and the best athletes. While most people see summer as the offseason where practice is optional and it’s time to rest, a select few athletes here at Ludlow see this time as a chance to get a step ahead of their competitors. This is true across all teams at Ludlow, but the training across these teams varies. Looking at various sports like soccer, basketball, and cross country, these three teams have very different plans for summer training.

With our soccer team finding success in winning Western Mass in the past season, many of the soccer players are working hard to reclaim this title. Sophomore Samuel Pontes, a returning varsity player, says that he plans to practice every day and have “three to four longer sessions per week.” Sam says that his goals for the season include “scoring more goals and also improving my overall abilities,” which explains his solid training plan over the summer. With many key players graduating, many JV players have to step up this summer, like junior Owen McCarthy, who says he plans on “running and working out every day.” When asked what goal is driving him to run and work out every day, he said it was “making the varsity team.” The soccer team is working very hard this summer to stay in shape, doing things like running and lifting multiple times throughout the week, and going out every day to work on their skills with a soccer ball, all to prepare the team to reclaim their Western Mass title.

Turning to winter sports, the basketball team will be working hard this summer. With the basketball team losing many of their seniors in the past couple of years, they have many new players and are working hard to make up for the skill lost with the graduating seniors. The basketball team is putting in many hours this summer training and working hard to get more wins than they did last year and show their growth with a young team. A freshman on the basketball team, Tyler Tatro, says that his goal for the season is to “average 15 points,” which is an important goal for his team to win more games than last year. Tyler says he will accomplish this goal by practicing every day, doing things like shooting, dribbling, lifting, and running.

The team will also be playing together a lot throughout the summer, building their skill and communication. However, many of the basketball players will also be working on their own, focusing on shooting and dribbling, as well as working on their overall fitness by running and lifting. With many of the basketball players working hard and following their training, they will surely meet their goal of improving from the previous year.

The cross-country team is also looking to reclaim their Western Mass title for the second year in a row and win the state divisional meet after placing second last year, making their summer training very important. The team is looking forward to the season and preparing during the summer with many of the runners training in various ways. A key runner on the team, junior Joseph Kerowack, says that he will run “six days a week” and lift “twice a week.” This is very important for the team’s success and will likely be similar to most other team members’ schedules. Additionally, the team will have captains’ practice four to five times a week, ensuring that the team is getting their summer miles in and introducing newcomers to the program.

Not only will the team be running, but most members will also be lifting over the summer to build the necessary muscles to keep dropping their times, and working on their speed by doing things like plyometrics at the summer lifting program at the school. Senior Kyler Martin, graduating this year and going to Assumption University, has a much heftier training plan, saying, “I plan to run about 75 miles a week,” which is a huge goal and will put him ahead of much of his new competition in college. Overall, the cross-country team has a lot to work for in the upcoming season, with most members lifting and running much throughout the week, pushing themselves to claim their spot on the varsity team.

The training between soccer, basketball, and cross country looks very different as they are training for sports that require different strengths. While all three teams lift multiple times a week, their core training varies as their sports call for specific muscles and skills to be used. For instance, the cross-country team has a heavy focus on running, while basketball and soccer emphasize specific mechanics like shooting, dribbling, and passing. Basketball players focus heavily on shooting, while soccer players practice a broader set of skills to be more versatile in their games.

Ludlow High School has a class of very hardworking athletes motivated to achieve their goals this summer. With many of them working hard, the 2024/2025 season will find great success.