According to new varsity soccer head coach Hayley Howe, the soccer program will be offering training sessions over the summer at JC as “a way to get in shape and be prepared [for the season.]”

The sessions will occur at various times over 24 days in June and July, and fitness tests will also be offered eight times over the summer so that players can measure their progress.

According to Howe, who was an assistant coach during the 2013-14 season, the training sessions are not mandatory, and “the only criteria you need are that you’re coming to JC, you’re a female, and you’re interested in trying out for soccer.”

“I really am excited about it and really hope our girls take advantage of it,” Howe said. “It provides an amazing opportunity to do our homework over the summer [to be ready when school comes.]”

In addition to the training sessions, Howe produced a packet of exercises and a workout schedule to keep players on track over the summer, even if they are unable to attend the training sessions. Similar packets are handed out every year. The packet, which was handed out at the interested player meeting on May 14, is “basically a how-to guide for [getting] in shape for JC soccer,” according to Howe.

“I’m not a big fan of running, but [the training sessions] will get us in shape for the season,” varsity striker junior Jenna White said.

The packet and the training sessions are supposed to promote accountability and team bonding, as well as prepare athletes for the season in the fall. Howe wants them to strengthen the team mentally as well as physically, and especially to eliminate any tensions or divisions between JV and varsity.

“We’re a program,” Howe said. “I don’t want a feeling of JV versus varsity.”

White agrees that the sessions will increase team unity. “It’s not just running and practicing,” White said. “We talk to each other so it’s an overall bonding experience.”

Howe hopes that the summer soccer training will lead her team to victory in the fall, particularly early in the season when the girls face some of their toughest opponents.

Tryouts are Aug. 15-19, and the first scrimmage is Aug. 20.

“If we get a strong number of athletes coming to sessions on a regular basis, we don’t have to spend time working out in August,” Howe said.

“When the games come around, we’ll know how everyone plays,” White said. “We’ll be a better team for it.”

Kathy Deaver is a Sports Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.