The average summer day for senior Nick Sokolowski involved running 8-9 miles. He did this to train for cross country running.

Sokolowski wasn’t alone. The summer is a time for many school athletes to practice and prepare for their upcoming sports seasons.

During the summer, some of the girls’ soccer team takes advantage of the increased amount of time available for the teams. In this time the captains schedule training camps with college coaches.

At the moment the team is trying to reach a coach from University of St. Thomas, Augsburg, St. Kate’s, Bethel and Macalester and have them come and host a training camp.

During these summer camps, the team members’ goals include improving their communication skills.

Junior captain Anna Huber said the goal of the summer training camps is to give the players a college experience while also increasing their skill set and preparing them for upcoming games.

“We schedule them to open up college soccer opportunities while increasing skills,” Huber said.

As well as the girls’ soccer team, the summer provides an opportune time for the cross country team to log in as many miles and get the training the team needs to do well during the school season.

Daily practices are every weekday to prepare for its season in the fall.

According to next year’s captain junior Sam Olson, the team practices so athletes can become more fit and work on their running technique.

“We try to get a good workout in everyday whether a long one or a short one,” Olson said.

Olson also said the goal of summer training is for younger members of the team to interact and become familiar with their older teammates. Socializing with teammates is essential for teams to better understand eachother.

“The summer training is to get the little kids more involved with the team and make them more comfortable,” Olson said.

According to Nordic ski coach John Dyste, skiers are made in the summer.

The Nordic ski team puts a lot of time into offseason training during the summer. During the summer the coaches hold a training session three times a week for the majority of the summer.

Sokolowski, captain of the Nordic team, said the goal of the summer training camps is to provide a helpful way for athletes to improve their overall fitness and their ability to ski.

“By rollerskiing over the summer athletes

are better able to develop their technique and fitness levels,” Sokolowski said.

Another way athletes can improve their endurance, strength and athleticism  is the high school’s strength and conditioning program.

The program is coached by synchro coach Jessica Gust.

The strength and conditioning program offers a cheap and accessible way for students to easily improve their fitness and strength.