Fall Sports Teams Begin Practice

It's a long offseason in high school athletics.

There are of course plenty of opportunities to play other sports and even continue your own for as many months as necessary. But stepping onto the field with your high school team is a little different. There's a little more excitement, a little more nerves, and for the seniors, it will be a little bittersweet as they enter their final season.

But nonetheless, with all of Winchester's athletic teams beginning practice last Thursday, it was a day many of the athletes couldn't wait to get here.

"I'm definitely looking forward to the season," said senior field hockey player, Candace Mullane. "To be a senior on the team is really exciting. It's an opportunity to be a good leader and to set an example."

"It's good to get back in the swing of things," said senior soccer captain Lubo Svetiev. "We're going to be working hard, and as a senior it's a good opportunity to set an example. We'll get to show the kids what it takes to be a leader and the high standards it takes to play on varsity."

On top of looking forward to getting the season under way, the Winchester sports teams are also excited to get a chance at playing on the new artificial turf on Manchester Field.

Field hockey coach, Michelle White, said that the slowly deteriorating grass field that the team played on last year made it difficult for the team to improve over the course of the year. She doesn't expect to have that problem this season.

"This field is going to change the course of the program," White said. "Last year the condition of the grass field just got worse and that hurt our fundamentals. That shouldn't be the case this year as our goal this year is to make the tournament."

Boy's soccer coach, Paul Austin, is just excited to begin the season and to see how his players improved.

"The beginning of something is always new and exciting," Austin said. "You get to see how the kids changed and how they've gotten better. It's like when you plant something and then watch it grow; you never know how it's going to turn out."

For the rest of the team, the start of the season couldn't come fast enough.

"I've been waiting for this day all spring and summer," said senior captain, Ryan Connolly who transferred to boarding school last year, but is now back on the team. "I'm pretty hyped about this season. We're definitely dreaming about a state title."

"I've pretty much been waiting for this day since last season," said senior captain Ben Bratt. "It's a great group of guys, and I'm glad to get back. Hopefully we have something special with this team."