After a successful fall season, Centennial athletes are gearing up for the winter sports season. With strong wrestling, indoor track and field, and basketball teams that consistently bring home titles ranging from individual placings to region and even state champs, expectations are high for another championship run. Together with the cheer team, let’s rally behind our Eagles for another winning season.
The winter season is the longest of the three seasons and is often considered to be the most grueling. Coach Kevin McCoy, head coach of the indoor track and field team, understands this well. “It’s great trials of adversity that we have to find a way to work through so that we can be as successful as possible.” He explains that the athletes have to train through tough weather and long breaks, along with midterm season and college applications. These all make up a huge factor in the lives of all athletes, and it takes a lot of discipline to balance.
Not only do the athletes need to manage their time between sports and school, but they each have responsibilities within their own respective sports. Wrestling itself has a demanding weight requirement which can be challenging for players to maintain. Captain Will Schmidt explains how in past years, the team has struggled with forfeits due to failing to hit their required weight classes. To overcome this Schmidt emphasizes the importance of “having fun when the going gets tough.”
Having a positive team mindset is a key factor no matter the sport. Senior cheer captain Haylee Simmons agrees that “[keeping] a good team bond” is important for a successful team. McCoy further emphasizes this, applauding his track team for creating such a unique “sense of family [and] sense of unity.” It’s important to have a team that can support each other and push one another to be the best they can be.
Hard work is a crucial part of a winning team, and no matter what season of sports it is, the Eagles work towards their full potential.. Junior basketball player Ryan Doody shares, “A major goal is winning our region,” and they are determined to earn that title. He attributes “playing together in summer league and fall league,” and making “practices as intense as possible with as many game-like situations” to achieve their goals. Similarly, Schmidt explains how wrestling works together in the offseason holding regular “optional practices”, which prepares them come wintertime.
While the hard work is essential, it needs to be balanced out by a level of fun. Schmidt admits that the best parts of the season are the “post-match trips to Qdoba and Jumbo Jumbo Tea.” Senior basketball player Adria Welsh also highlights how she looks forward to their “pregame locker room [time]” which includes “getting ready with everyone while blasting music.” Simple things like spending time with the team outside of the gym/court can create a positive environment that the players can carry over into their performance.
Whether it’s overcoming adversity, staying focused on goals, or finding moments of joy together, the Eagles know what it takes to win. With determination and team spirit driving them, there’s no doubt they’ll continue to bring home titles and represent Centennial with pride.
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