As winter approaches, opportunities for playing organized soccer diminish. This impairs players’ abilities to prepare for their season, which starts during spring break. “Indoor season is really great because it helps kids stay in shape during the winter. It can be hard to train when it’s so cold out but being inside removes that issue,” Katie Haas, a junior on the girls team, expressed.
Both the boys and girls’ soccer teams are taking advantage of these opportunities.
The girls’ team practices Friday mornings starting at 5:45 a.m. They also have teams playing in the winter league at TBK Sports Complex. Their games are on Monday nights and consist of a 40 minute game with a continuous clock.
The schedule for the boys’ team is similar. They will have practices starting in January at 6 a.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. They are also participating in the TBK winter league and have games on Wednesday nights.
Indoor practices are also a good way for players to be exposed to the intensity of high school soccer.
Practices and games during the winter simulate what the regular season will be like which helps players to see if they are willing to play at the high school level. This is especially important for freshmen. As they have never experienced high school soccer, indoor gives a preview of the intensity they will face the upcoming year.
However, indoor training is not a perfect substitute for playing outside. “While it’s good to still be getting touches a few times a week, it can’t fully prepare us for the high school season and having practices all week,” Haas explained.
The winter season also helps players to be seen by their coaches. Iowa high school rules prevent coaches from meeting with their players outside of the high school season, so training opportunities are scarce. By having their players participate in the winter games and practices, coaches can watch their players without breaking the rules.
Indoor is also used so players can get to know who they will be playing with during the upcoming season. “Indoor season helps me connect with my teammates earlier in the year and helps me to get prepared for our spring season rather than just jumping straight into tryouts,” Connor Schutte, a senior on the boys team, commented.
Playing over the winter can be taxing for players. Waking up early on school days can make it hard for athletes to balance all of their responsibilities. Also, winter sessions are just as rigorous as spring practices, and can lead to injuries.
While injuries are common in soccer, it is tough getting injured during something as seemingly inconsequential as indoor training. “I have gotten injured during winter sessions before, and it sucks just sitting and doing nothing when you’re supposed to be being watched by coaches,” Schutte said.
Indoor soccer is a good way to prepare players for their seasons by helping them to stay in shape over the winter and by letting them prove themselves to their coaches. If you want to support Spartan Soccer in their games over the winter, you can find the schedules for the girls JV, girls varsity, boys JV, and boys varsity here.
