As I text my friends about field hockey preseason, the overwhelming majority of them talk about how much they dread it. Although I don’t wake up every morning jumping with excitement about having to run my mile or stand out in the heat for nearly three hours, I understand the importance of having to practice as early and intensely as our team does.

Some say that Parker’s preseason is too long, but I believe it’s just right. Preseason begins on Wednesday of the second week in August––with the exception of golf which starts on Monday. Each team has their own practice schedule, but the majority have two practices a day with a break in between. Some sports, such as field hockey, only have five days of two-a-day practices. Others, like soccer, continue them throughout preseason. All in all, preseason is a third of a player’s summer.

If Parker only had one or two weeks of preseason, players wouldn’t have a solid feel for the dynamic of the team. Practice allows both players and coaches to understand how specific people play and how groups work with one another. Understanding a team’s dynamic is key to building teamwork and strengthening performance in games.

Without preparation, any team, not just Parker teams, would be lost.

Practice gives players a feel for how they work with one another and also improves skills. The more practice and work players put in, the more skill and improvement they will develop.

Parker sets itself apart from other schools’ athletic programs because of our no cut policy. Everybody makes the team whether they have been playing for years or started a few days prior. Because of this, the time granted for preseason allows coaching staff to catch everybody up to speed and teach basic skills to the new members.

“I started field hockey for the very first time going into my freshman year,” sophomore Emily Simon said. “I was really scared at first because everyone had been playing for so many years before, but preseason really helped me get into shape and learn skills that the other girls knew which made me feel a lot better stepping onto the field for my first game.”

This year, preseason began on August 8. Because preseason is the majority of August, some players feel as though the practices prohibit them from participating in other summer activities. “I was planning on doing a service trip in Costa Rica, but it ended a week into preseason,” freshman Daisy Glazier said. “I don’t think it’s really fair to plan practices which end our summer so early.”

Last season, other players did not schedule around preseason and were penalized for that. “I had been training for horseback riding nationals since I was nine and it was time to finally compete,” sophomore Ellie Buono said, “but the competition was during preseason. I still went to the competition, but because I missed practice, I had to sit out for multiple games.”

According to Parker’s policies, a student who misses practice during one of the first five days of preseason receives a point for each missed practice. After receiving two points, a player must sit out for one game or match. It makes sense that players should have to be reprimanded for their absences, but I think sitting out of games is excessive.

Benching players does not only affect that individual but the team as a whole. If they are a key player, the team will lack strength. But, no matter what type of player they are, people need subs for when they are worn out. For every benched player due to missed practices, other players on the field will be the more tired and worn out.

If we had just one less week of preseason, the practices would be even more tiring than they already are. Coaches would have to cram their plans to fit a shorter schedule. Teams need to go over certain drills and plays in order to be properly prepared for games. With a shorter timeframe to do that, each practice would have extra work. This would most likely burn out the players too quickly, which could cause more injuries and a loss of players.

Preseason allows players to focus solely on improving athletically. When the school year starts, students are focused on classes, homework, assessments, and everything revolving around academics. But, when the stress of classes is taken away, players are more focused on the game––and seem more devoted to it.

The time also allows for relationships amongst players to strengthen before teams hit the playing field. It seems that once school starts, friend groups are more secure than they are over the summer, which allows for the creation of new friendships.

The current preseason schedule allows for teams to begin playing games before the school year starts. During these games, players don’t have any other school-related responsibility and can fully devote themselves to the game. There have been many times when all I could think about was the upcoming assessments I had to study for or the multitude of papers I had to write. Because I was hyper-focused on other obligations, my head wasn’t in the game, and I was playing worse than I would’ve if I had no academic related stress.

When the last few days of July roll around, I automatically start thinking of preseason as it gets closer and closer. During this time I mentally prepare myself for the tiring practices and exhausting heat. I give into the complaining about being sore and worn out because when I stand on the field for our first game, I am not just happy but also thankful for the hard work the team has put in throughout the preseason.