As competition ended for all sports teams, athletes condition to stay in shape while interacting with their peers.
Athletes at Pierce have been invited on to condition with the football team at John Shepard Stadium.
Fitness Center Coordinator and head football coach James Sims said he wants the other student-athletes to connect with the players.
“I invite athletes from other sports to form bonds and relationships with the entire program. I want them to support each other and push each other,” Sims said.
Athletes are invited to participate Monday through Friday. On Fridays, they specifically do yoga.
Sims said he’s been doing this for a long time and that the athletes push one another.
“I’ve been coaching for 24 years and I do this everywhere I go,” Sims said. “My big 300 lb lineman finished all their runs because the girls were pushing them.”
Some of the activities the athletes do together are conditioning, weightlifting, and team building.
Many athletes participate in these activities and said that it’s been helpful.
Alexandra Meza, a freshman soccer player, said she finds it incredibly useful being with other players.
“I find it extremely helpful training with the football team and other teams because our sports are different but we all try to push ourselves and work harder,” Meza said. “When you see a volleyball player or basketball player run the field quicker than you, as a soccer player you want to beat that and run faster.”
Meza said she participates in this because she wants to improve her skills.
“I attend and train with them because as a student-athlete that wants to continue on to the next level and play in a four-year school you need to learn this kind of discipline and physical hard work,” Meza said. “Training with the football team and other athletes also helps us build this Brahma family where we can all support each other and help one another grow to reach our athletic goals.”
Working out with athletes in different sports is different compared to working out with your own team and coach.
Alejandra Velazquez, a freshman volleyball player, said it’s different when you condition with other athletes.
“There is something about working out with other athletes that is even more rewarding. Since we all have the same goals we push each other to be better,” Velazquez said.
Velazquez also said she goes to work out with the football team because she’s healing from an injury.
“I expected these workouts to be difficult but rewarding. They have definitely pushed me to work even harder and set higher goals for myself. Since I am recovering from an injury, I am just trying to get back to the level I was before,” Velazquez said.
It’s fair to say from these workouts that these teams have the potential to improve and are likely to have stronger bonds going forward.
Velazquez also believes teams will benefit from the conditioning.
“I think that all teams at Pierce would benefit from attending them which is why we are encouraging everyone to come. Especially because it also builds bonds between the teams,” Velazquez said.
Meza said her favorite part about being with other athletes is getting to know them.
“My favorite part is getting to know the other athletes and about who they are as individuals and where they want to be,” Meza said. “I love getting to learn new things that’ll help us all as athletes and it’s amazing to be doing it as one whole family.”