This summer the Berkeley High School sports facilities have been buzzing with activity. Although BHS does not have summer sports, student athletes can be found training on the field and in the weight room almost every week throughout the two month break. Incoming students of all grades have had opportunities to begin training for various fall, winter, and spring sports. Coaches show up consistently, providing off-season training for the students who show interest in extra practice and preparation for tryouts.
Kirby Megorden is the BHS weight room strength and conditioning coach who works with all BHS athletes throughout the year. Because of how weight training benefitted and impacted his life as a high school athlete, Megorden wanted to bring the same expertise and knowledge he gained to BHS athletes. During the summers, Megorden can focus on speed and strength along with traditional lifting techniques. Compared to lifts in the weight room during the school year, Megorden is able to increase the volume of repetition during the summer, “For off-season training, the benefits are, I would say, two fold. You’re going to be more prepared for the demands of whatever sport you’re chasing or you’re participating in, and then you’re also going to have benefits from the variety of different training methodologies used,” Megorden said.
For Megorden, committing to provide optional summer training for students is worth it, because he loves to see his athletes learn things in the weight room that are brand new to them. “I feel like kids say, ‘yeah, I’m not athletic, I don’t lift weights.’ When in reality, they’ve played sports their whole entire life, they might have even played two or three sports. But they’ve only really been challenged in such a minimal capacity on how fast they are, how strong they are, and how much work they can put in,” Megorden said.
In addition to Megorden, BHS varsity flag football head coach Israel Carrero shared what makes summer training worth it for him and his staff. “We like to do it because we’re such a new sport, and we want everyone to have every equal opportunity possible … You know this is their (students) time that they’re donating to us on the field. So that’s the way I look at it,” Carrero said.
Summer flag football training is also a way for new students to make connections with fellow athletes and future coaches before the beginning of school. “I think a fantastic thing that happens is players making new friends before school, especially since a lot of these girls are transfers from different areas who don’t know people, and now they have had time to meet new people,” Carrero said. Carrero also emphasizes mastery of the fundamentals during the summer through the use of repetition when it comes to simple drills. “A lot of my returners will usually show up, because it’s the way for them to get better and sharpen their skills, knowing what the competition is like and what they need to work on,” Carrero said.
Sachi Chakko is a BHS sophomore who regularly attended flag football preseason in the last month. But in her second year of high school flag football, her goal was to improve and become stronger to make the team again in the fall. “I feel a lot stronger and I learned a lot through the summer. In terms of individual things and certain skills, I’ve gotten better at them, and just gained more understanding overall,” Chakko said. For Chakko, preseason is worthwhile to her because it’s a way to stay fit and active to get better at a sport she cares about.
Summer training at BHS is for students who want to dedicate time to their sport, explore a new sport, or build community with other student athletes and coaching staff. These various training sessions are an opportunity to stay active, something that coaches and trainers have been working hard to provide for athletes.