As he attends the boys’ lacrosse preseason practices, senior captain Mitchell Vortherms said they allow players to build team unity and reinforce techniques players may have lost during the offseason.

“I see people at school, but building chemistry again is good,” Vortherms said. “Obviously, you can play with a wall and hit the wall, but that’s not the same versus playing with your people.”

According to senior Ben Bakken, practicing before the season helps build skills over the break.

“You need practice over the winter and all over the off-season. You can’t just pick up a stick and go at it again,” Bakken said.

JV coach Jared Mickelson said the team’s practices on indoor turf fields let the teammates play in a space similar to an outdoor stadium.

“I think having these dome practices benefit them by just getting inside, having field space to use, not just inside a gym,”  Mickelson said. “Having these dome practices, having them shake the rust off, really helps the guys get geared up and ready for the upcoming season in the spring.”

According to Vortherms, the captains hope to instill respectful values in their fellow players to develop a humble atmosphere.

“As a team, respect is a big thing, trying to build respect for our community and for each other,” Vortherms said. “We haven’t really had a lot of problems with it in the past, but I think it’ll be good to improve on that so we’re better as a team.”

According to Mickelson, the coaches would like to influence their players beyond the lacrosse field by inspiring them to be better people overall.

“I choose to be a coach to impact these young kids’ lives,” Mickelson said. “I was impacted by my coaches, and I would like to give that back and open these young men to society, to be good citizens and good people and to go forth and give that to somebody else.”

Vortherms said being a captain does not separate him from the rest of the team.

“It’s nothing really special because, as a team, we are a community. We’re a good group, and I think we have a lot to learn and a lot to grow off of,” Vortherms said.

According to Mickelson, the coaches want to help the team by revisiting simple skills the team can build on.

“I hope to improve the team by getting back to the basics. It all comes down to that. Those are the stepping stones, and you can just build off that,” Mickelson said.

According to Gopark.org, the lacrosse season begins with tryouts April 2.

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