Behind a long history of team success are good coaches, hours of work, inspiration and dedication. Athletes and coaches alike spend hours of time each week practicing on fields and courts every morning or afternoon. Without all of this work, the reputation of their school sports isn’t there.

“Practice is a time where we can prepare and get better, so that when we play our opponent, we’re able to compete and succeed,” Coach Wallrich says. Coaches are big inspirations to athletes, and these bonds strengthen the entire team. Coaches use their practice time to make sure that their athletes are always in tip-top shape, but it goes deeper than just that.

“She pushes me very hard and makes me strive for the best,” Shai’ree Thompson, 8, says. Coaches play a big role in athletes’ lives, and the teamwork that arises from it leads to great success.

Coaches aren’t the only key components of a team. Relationships between athletes are also very important to the chemistry of a team, as they are the ones who play the sport. Even if they are just cheering for their teammates, athletes still have a huge impact on the success of a sports team. Not only athletes need inspiration, though.

“I started coaching when I first started teaching,” Coach Murphy says. “I’ve always enjoyed sports and being outside. I saw its benefits in teaching life lessons.” Coaches have a long history with sports, which means they have the skills to train their team and use specialized drills that help improve athletes’ abilities.

In some sports, there are many plays that athletes memorize by doing drills. When they are playing a game, they have to know exactly how to execute them. Additionally, there are also drills that simply improve the basic skills of the sport.

“My favorite drill is when they put us best on best. It’s where A team goes against A team,” Angel Maldonado, 8th grade, says. “I like the competition and how fun it is.” Drills are a core component of practice, and they are an amazing way for athletes to build muscle memory.

While athletes may loathe practice, it’s vital to their game. Their team’s history of wins is highly dependent on practice. “The hardest part of practice for me, as a coach, is making sure that it is fun and engaging,” Coach Dierschke says. Even coaches need a break sometimes.