Chloe Davis & Gogo Jones
Sports Editors
For many, summer is a time to kick-back, relax, and soak up the rays. Ram athletes, however, realize that working hard over the summer and success on the field go hand in hand. While catching up with leaders from each season, the Courant asked these NCHS athletes what summer athletics mean to them, and how it will pay off in the 2011/2012 season. And while each athlete is unique with their own strengths, weaknesses, and routines; they all share one common goal–bringing home the next State championship. Ladies and gentlemen, NCHS Courant presents to you the Rams Summer Diary.
Fall
Athlete: Matt Milano
Grade: Senior
Sport: Football
Position: Quarterback
Summer Athletic Agenda: “I attended football camps at UCONN, Dartmouth, Princeton, Amherst and Bowdoin as well as regular early morning workouts on Tuesdays and Fridays. I also lifted with the team on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Furthermore I did 7 on 7 games from 5-8 on Tuesdays, with 7 on 7 tournaments every Saturday.”
Most Dreaded Exercise: “The triple leg circuit: 60 air squats, 30 split squats, 60 lunges, 30 squat jumps.”
Quote: “Working out in the summer builds team chemistry more than anything. The guys who endure the workouts day in and day out are more than often those who will play. They share the strongest bonds between each other and can typically use the experiences they’ve been through together in the summer on the field.”
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Athlete: Patrick Newton
Grade: Senior
Sport: Football
Position: Wide Receiver
Summer Athletic Agenda: “Right after school ended, I went to the UCONN football camp for four days. The morning after I came home from that, I drove up to Dartmouth and attended the football camp there. Straight from Dartmouth I drove to Providence, RI and attended Brown’s football camp. On top of all that, I had weekly 7 on 7 games with my teammates and lifted with them throughout the week, in addition to yoga once a week. From July 12th-July 17th I went to California with the football team and competed against other teams from around the U.S in a 7 on 7 tournament. In the beginning of August, we had five days of our team camp held at our home field, and hosted three other high schools. Pre-season starts August 22nd.”
Most Dreaded Exercise: Before our workouts every day, we would go onto dunning field and do what we called, “Around the World.” We had to run up and down the steps of the home stands and the away stands, sometimes more than once. After even more exercises I was basically dead, yet still had to go in the high school afterwards and finish an entire lifting workout.”
Quote: “If you want to play on the football team, you have to be in the weight room basically all summer. Our team plays to win, and if we’re not in the best shape possible, we’re not going to reach our ultimate goal. All the hard work we put in is for one reason, and that is to win the State championship.”
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Athlete: Tim Pritchard
Grade: Senior
Sport: Soccer
Position: Mid-center
Summer Athletic Agenda: “I did a Haverford College camp for the first time and an Amherst College camp for the third time. I was scheduled to attend a Northwestern University camp for my second time but backed out when, after Amherst, decided that I didn’t want to pursue a college soccer career.”
Most Dreaded Exercise: “Any exercise is a bad exercise…if i had to pick one I would say “dollars” or other sprinting routines just because I’m not fast and I can’t really shine. Than again, just about anything without a ball because it doesn’t make you better at the game.”
Quote: “I would argue that it’s better to just round up some of the boys and kick it around without worrying about going too hard. It gets the chemistry flowing and gets your touch on the ball back. The best players in high school soccer are the ones that know how to move the ball around (which is unfortunately easier said than done), so if we start that up in the summer it should carry over into the fall season.”
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Athlete: Ben Granath
Grade: Senior
Sport: Soccer
Position: Mid-left
Summer Athletic Agenda: “My workouts progress as the summer goes on. I don’t go too hard during the end of June and into July, but by late July I begin training again, but lightly. August is “crunch-time” and everything is at full speed. The clinics are going to begin in late August, and just when you think that you’re in ‘decent’ shape, the season starts!”
Most Dreaded Excercise: “My most dreaded exercise would be the running drill known as “dollars.” Basically, you continuously do laps around the outskirts of the field at a fast pace, with bursts of sprints at certain points along the run. Not fun.”
Quote: “We are currently in that time where everything is at top gear. We’re training hard (sometimes harder than we’d wish), and putting what we gain to good use. I’m looking forward to bringing NC Feet another state championship later in the fall.”
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Athlete: Melanie Sztorc (Captain)
Grade: Senior
Sport: Field Hockey
Position: Center Forward
Summer Athletic Agenda: “Our team went to a camp up at Uconn, and it was really cool to see everyone continuing to play over the summer. On an individual level, it’s important to stay in shape over the summer and run as much as possible.”
Most Dreaded Excercise: “The most dreaded exercise is probably the same for everyone; sprints at the end of practice.”
Quote: “This year is really crucial because we graduated a decent amount of girls who started last spring. It will definitely be a transition, but the seniors including myself are up for the challange. The seniors this year are the group of girls that our coach, Erin Gildea, started with, which is also significant since our bond with her have grown over the years.”
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Athlete: Phoebe Wilks
Sport: Field Hockey
Grade: Senior
Position: Defense
Summer Athletic Agenda: “I attended the UConn CT Elite Field Hockey Camp, and organized captain’s practices which we held three times per week.”
Most Dreaded Exercise: “The timed two mile run.”
Quote: “In past seasons, the FCIAC league has been dominated by Darien, but after losing ten out of their eleven starters, we feel that we can give them a run for their money this year. Our confidence in this season has definitely been reflective of our practice over the summer, with three practices a week and a very good camp experience. Our coach, Erin Gildea, has also increased our work especially for preseason and tryouts by changing our timed running routine and bringing in top coaches from around the area for our preseason camp. In this upcoming season, I think that all three of the captains agree that our goal will be to beat Darien, period. For this reason, I think that all who share this goal have been working very hard over the summer. Overall, I’m extremely excited for the season and know we have the skills to become one of the top, if not the best, team in the league.”
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Athlete: Holly Burwick
Sport: Soccer
Grade: Senior
Position: Goalkeeper
Summer Athletic Agenda: “Over the summer, I attended three camps/clinics at various colleges, as well as participated in two tournaments with my club team and two weeks of preseason for high school soccer. In addition to all of this, I tried to squeeze in runs and gym time whenever possible.”
Most Dreaded Exercise: “The two mile run!”
Quote: “Playing a lot of soccer this summer has helped me with my college soccer search as well as preparing for the high school season. A definite plus is that I get the time to practice and test out new skills that I don’t really have time for during the regular season. As great as it is to play soccer for some of the summer, I think it’s also important to take a break for a few weeks or so because once you come back to the sport, you’re much more excited and energized to play and compete. We’re hoping for a successful season this fall!”
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Athlete: Olivia Hoelzer
Sport: Soccer
Grade: Sophomore
Position: Center Defense
Summer Athletic Agenda: “Over the summer, I was able to stay in shape by running and participating in activities such as diving. When August came around I definitely focused more on soccer and attended a Soccerplus sleep away camp at Colgate University. Following this, I attended the conditioning and preseason weeks for the NCHS soccer program.”
Most Dreaded Exercise: “Long distance running!”
Quote: “After being injured so many times, I’ve learned that it’s extremely important to stay in shape over the summer. This way, you are prepared to work really hard when fall approaches, and in turn be very successful throughout the season.”
Winter
Athlete: Nick Depuy (Captain)
Grade: Senior
Sport: Basketball
Position: Center
Summer Athletic Agenda: “During the summer, I played organized basketball for a summer team. Every other day I tried to fit in a conditioning session with a heavy jump rope when I could, and a couple times a week I tried to go out of my way to get extra shots up at the Y. I went to the Hoop Mountain All Academic Camp at Brandeis University to get college looks, and immediately after that I went to another camp at Kutztown University [PA] with my high school team. After that, our high school squad has had once a week team workouts on top of my regular schedule. I also play pick up whenever I get the chance, now that summers coming to a close.”
Most Dreaded Exercise: “Foot fires with Coach Mike. Absolute torture.”
Quote: “The off-season can be a time for recreation and relaxation, if that’s what you want, or it can be that one opportunity for rebuilding and self- improvement. It’s your choice.”
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Athlete: Henry Lavieri
Grade: Junior
Sport: Basketball
Position: Power Forward
Summer Athletic Agenda: “The team and I attended a camp at Kutztown University to play a lot of games to get back into the swing of things. We also played in a summer league based in Stamford that kept us on our game. Also, we worked with another coach to get in shape and focus on the fundamentals.”
Most Dreaded Exercise: “Six minute drills, they’re the worst.”
Quote: “Working out over the summer is vital. It makes preseason that much easier and hopefully translates into a successful season. Our goal for this year is to make the state playoffs.”
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Athlete: Dylan Hart (Captain)
Grade: Senior
Sport: Hockey
Position: Center
Summer Athletic Agenda: “NCHS hockey team workouts started a couple weeks after school let out. Team workouts were three times a week, along with ice time for whoever was around once a week. I have also been playing for teams outside the high school and went to a couple junior showcases up in Massachusetts playing various teams from the U.S and Canada. Now I’m back training with the high school team, and we have our preseason ”boot camp” in which we skate every night the week before school and fall pre-season begin.”
Most Dreaded Exercise: “My most dreaded exercise would be the “Ron Francis” abs workout, named after the former NHL player who designed it.”
Quote: “I am just proud of the players on our team who have put in a ton of effort this summer and I believe it’s all going to pay off this season. My goal is to help our team win it’s third straight FCIAC title and make it back to the Yale Whale. Some people might say those are lofty expectations, but I believe we have an underrated group of kids this year that will really surprise people.”
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Athlete: Chris Koennecke
Grade: Sophomore
Sport: Hockey
Position: Goalie
Summer Athletic Agenda: “Throughout the summer I attended multiple on ice camps, both with the team and on my own. In addition, I supplemented these with an off-ice training program for strength and conditioning work.”
Most Dreaded Exercise: “Front squats.”
Quote: “It’s important to work hard during the summer, simply because it pays off during the season. We want to put ourselves in a position to achieve our ultimate goal of winning the FCIAC’s and a State championship.”
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Athlete: Britt Gardella
Sport: Hockey
Grade: Senior
Position: Goalie
Summer Athletic Agenda: “I did the Princeton Ice Hockey Camp, which was hosted by the Princeton women’s coach, her husband (the goalie instructor) and a few other coaches including a surprise visit on the last day from a member of the USA women’s Ice Hockey Olympic team – her job was to shoot on me which was a pretty intimidating experience to be honest. Plus I did some private lessons.”
Most Dreaded Exercise: “FCU conditionings were never something I looked forward to.” (FCU conditionaings consisted of 44 hundreds, recoveries, suicides, stairs workouts, and strength ecercises). “My least favorite there were the timed sprints, especially these suicides where we had to sprint to the 30 yard line and back from the end line 12 times in 68 seconds.”
Quote: “I know I have a responsibility to my team to become the best goalie I can be. They all do what they can to improve their game and make our team what it is and I shouldn’t think I am an exception. I know that all the other goalies in the league are working hard at becoming better and improving their game and I should too. In the comparison of goalies to the rest of the skaters and field players on the team, there is a tremendous pressure on them to be the best and make no mistakes which is realistically impossible. But unlike the rest of the players, when a goalie makes a mistake, everyone notices it because usually that mistake turns into a goal. Thankfully, I’m fortunate enough to have a tremendous team in front of me. The goalie is your last line of defense, your last hope, so, being an amateur at the position, I knew I had a responsibility to my team to get much better over the summer, receive proper ice hockey goalie training, and limit that number of mistakes. Every year for every team their goal will be to win the FCIAC and state titles. I would say thats the same for our team this year and for myself. But as a personal goal, I would like to become significantly better for my team so I’m not dependent on them to save my butt in a game, and maybe I can start being the difference between a loss and a win – I can be more of a contribution than someone standing in front of a cage.”
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Athlete: Kellianne Hickey (Captain)
Sport: Hockey
Grade: Senior
Position: Center forward
Summer Athletic Agenda: “I attended several hockey camps at Stamford Twin Rinks, supplemented with training at Bluestreak, shooting clinics at Terry Conners, runs through Waveny and free skates on the weekends.”
Most Dreaded Exercise: “45 second sprints on the ice.”
Quote: “Summer is a great time to work on skills. You have room to try out new things and hone in on problem areas without the pressure of in-season as well. Our expectations for this year are nothing less than last year. Although we did extremely well, there’s always room for improvement, which is why we push staying active during the summer months to stay in shape and get even better.”
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Athlete: Ellie Wright
Grade: Senior
Sport: Basketball
Position: Shooting Guard
Summer Athletic Agenda: “The past couple of years the team has participated in a summer basketball league hosted by the Darien YMCA throughout July with two games a week, for five weeks. This summer was the first time we invited some of the incoming freshmen to play with us, which was really good because they got a feel for what it’s like to be around some of the older girls on our team and get to know them, as well as get comfortable with the level we played at. We also took returning players to a one-day team camp at the University of New Haven, where we had the opportunity to be coached by college players and improve as a team. Although we haven’t had a regimented team workout every week, we’ve definitely been encouraged to work hard on our own time.”
Most Dreaded Exercise: “Besides simply waking up early on a summer morning, there’s one drill in particular that we all dread more than the rest called “Four Quarters”. It’s supposed to train our body’s to push through fatigue, especially at the end of quarters, and finish strong. Basically, it combines four different conditioning drills together and each one of them is timed, so if we don’t make the time as a team we start it all over again.”
Quote: “Coach Palmer likes to say to us that a team isn’t built during the season; it’s built in [summer]the extra time put in before it’s begun. We know we can’t expect to hit the ground running as a unit on Day one of practice and immediately be successful if we haven’t already established a foundation for that success. So that’s what we try to achieve over the summer. If we start building that team atmosphere in June, then when November rolls around, we know we’re in a good position to focus on playing and generating early success on the court. We have some really strong returning players this year, which is a big positive for us since we graduated two of last season’s starters. We were good last year, and want to build upon that success. We want to win the program’s first FCIAC title and we want to make it farther into the state tournament than we have in previous years.”
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Athlete: Hannah Femia
Grade: Senior
Sport: Basketball
Position: Forward
Summer Athletic Agenda: “Well this summer with my bad back, I’ve been doing a lot of personal training and rehab for it. I’ve gotten the chance to watch the girls play in the summer league at Darien High and I was reallyimpressed with how well everyone was doing! However, I’ve recently started getting back into the swing of things; I’ve been doing the “mike’n” lay-up drill, working on my post moves, my free throws etc.”
Most Dreaded Exercise: “My most dreaded exercise is probably this box out drill we do. Basically you and your partner have to work together to try and get the rebound before another pair does, and there are literally no rules. The losing teams after the allotted amount of time is up always has to run a lot so no one wants to lose. It’s insane how scary it gets. It’s vicious.”
Quote: “It’s really important to work out over the summer because you can bet there’s some else from another town out there who’s in the gym everyday improving their game. We play in a competitive league and we want to be able to compete to full potential, so the time we spend improving our game during the summer and off season helps us have a strong start to the season.”
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Spring
Athlete: Tom Carey
Grade: Senior
Sport: Lacrosse
Position: Goalie
Summer Athletic Agenda: “Over the summer I played for the Connecticut Chargers (a summer lacrosse club), and also attented the Jake Reed Nike blue chip which is a recruiting showcase. With CT Chargers we go to two or three tournaments which are held in Long Island or CT. The team consists of rising seniors from Darien, New Canaan, and Greenwich. We usually practice once or twice a week, and the tournaments are always on weekends.”
Most dreaded exercise: “My most dreaded exercise would have to be running in general, especially when it gets intense. Getting in shape is always hard.”
Quote: “Although summer is a time to relax, it’s important to stay in shape and build upon the skills you have built up throughout the regular season.”
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Athlete: Paul Clemente
Grade: Senior
Sport: Lacrosse
Position: Defenseman
Summer Athletic Agenda: “This summer I played for the CT Chargers U-18 Blue team along with my classmates John Brainard, Peter Kraus, and Tom Carey. The team draws from all over CT and even NY. We played in a number of tournaments from Baltimore to Philadelphia. I had a great time playing with everyone and am proud to say we only lost two games all summer. Individually, I participated in a number of camps at Baltimore to Rhode Island, and Lehigh University. During the summer my workout routine is pretty light although I try to run a couple miles two to three times a week.”
Most dreaded exercise: “Abs…painful stuff right there.”
Quote: “Its crucial to keep stay in shape in the off season for many reasons. Not only do you want to keep up with you’re fellow teammates, but by not working out your essentially regressing from skills learned during the prior season.”
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Athlete: Kristine Ryan
Grade: Senior
Sport: Lacrosse
Position: Attack
Summer Athletic Agenda: “I played on the Connecticut Lacrosse Futures Club Team and attented the Elite 180 lax camp.”
Most Dreaded Exercise: “Push-ups.”
Quote: “Although summer is a time to relax and enjoy the sun, it’s also a time to prepare for the upcoming sport seasons. Every sport has the dreaded preseason, so preparing ahead and running/exercising throughout the summer is key. I feel that if you exercise throughout the summer it will be easier for you and your team to get right to working on skills than spending time doing fitness to get back into shape. I would have to say my hopes are very high for this upcoming season. Our team is very hard-working and very determined to do even better than we did last year.”
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Athlete: Sarah Mannelly
Grade: Senior
Sport: Lacrosse
Position: Midfield
Summer Athletic Agenda: Boston College Lacrosse Camp: “The agenda each day is pretty much the same. You wake up, go to breakfast, session 1, lunch, session 2, which is normally stations, dinner, and session 3, which is night games. Then you go to bed, wake up, and do it all over again.”
Most Dreaded Exercise: “The 3v2 continuous because we didn’t have many people on each team and we just did it without a break for a long time which is just constant running back and forth.”
Quote: “Participating in camps and clinics is important to do throughout the summer because even though you’re no in season it is still necessary to continue playing to keep your skills up to par and even improve during the off season. Working out and doing stuff on your own not only benefits you as a player, but it also benefits the team. If everyone is working on their individual skills during the off season it will only better the team during the season and will allow the team to achieve the goals such as winning FCIACs and States.”
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Athlete: Willie Burger
Grade: Sophomore
Sport: Baseball
Position: Third base
Summer Athletic Agenda: “This summer I played in a few tournaments to get better heading into next season. I attended several showcase-style tournaments to gain some exposure and demonstrate my skills in front of various college programs. Also, this summer I began an intense resistance band regimen in order to build arm strength for baseball as well as some other exercises to build all-around strength.”
Most dreaded exercise: “Running has always been the last exercise I want to do.”
Quote: “ Nobody is perfect but I still believe that it is important to strive for perfection. No matter how good you are you can always get better. It’s what separates the good from the great. The great are never satisfied.”
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Athlete: Andrew Casali (captain)
Grade: Junior
Sport: Baseball
Position: Shortstop
Summer Athletic Agenda: “My primary summer team was the tri-state Aresenal team. The program included lots of baseball tournaments all over the country. In between these tournaments, when I was home, I would still workout and go to places like Bobby V’s to stay fresh.”
Most dreaded exercise: “Anything having to do with abs, especially crunches.”
Quote: “In a league as competetiive as the FCIAC, its essential that I work on my game throughout the summer. We have a very young and talented team this year, and almost everyone played on a team over the summer. I’m expecting big things from the boys this year.”
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Athlete: Jordan Ventura
Grade: Junior
Sport: Softball
Position: Catcher
Summer Athletic Agenda: “To keep in shape this summer I became a member of a gym and would go there as much as possible, mainly to run on the treadmill or use the elliptical. If I wasnt able to get to the gym, I would go for runs on my street. To keep up with my softball skills I regularly visited Bobby Valentines Aports Academy in Stamford.”
Most dreaded exercise: “Just about anything that requires a lot of upper body strength such as push ups, “burpees”, or planks.”
Quote: “I feel that it’s very important to stay fit, no matter what sport you’re playing, because not only does it prepare you for that particular sport, but keeps you healthy and in all around good shape.”
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Athlete: Marlee Ready
Sport: Softball
Grade: 11
Position: 3rd base / Catcher
Summer Athletic Agenda: “Playing on a summer team that required of 1 or 2 practices a week, 1-2 weekday games, and a tournament almost every weekend. The summer season started mid-June and ended the last day of July. Overall there were 6 weekend tournaments and about 6 weekday games. I also worked out on my own by taking runs and doing other exercise to stay in shape.”
Most dreaded exercise: Sprints.
Quote: “I think it is important for athletes to practice their sport over the summer because it helps maintain your skills and it can only improve your performance in the future. Summer leagues are also the ideal time to try new things while playing because there usually isn’t as much pressure on you as there can be during the high school season. Our goal this spring is to win FCIACs and States by playing at our bests thanks to all of the previous springs and summers we’ve dedicated to playing in a competitive softball league.”
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