While summer break may be a vacation for the majority of students, this is not necessarily the case for student-athletes. Throughout June and July, athletes have taken part in summer activities to help keep them in shape and prepare them for their upcoming seasons.

The football team spent countless hours in the weight room and on the field during the summer. The Rams played in two 11 vs. 11 scrimmages against competitive teams. On June 30, the Rams hosted Jeffersonville and Salem. A few weeks later on July 19, the Rams traveled to Owen Valley and competed against North Putnam, BNL and Owen Valley. To wrap up summer conditioning, the boys had a team camp where they further prepared for the upcoming season and grew closer as a team.

“Overall, our kids did a good job this summer. Though the summer is completely voluntary, 29 of our athletes were at over 90% attendance,” said Varsity Football Head Coach Neil Dittmer.

The volleyball team was also busy in the gym over summer break. The Lady Rams had conditioning and practice three days each week in June and July. They played in two different scrimmages against PLAC opponents Orleans and Mitchell.

The Lady Rams also attended the USA Volleyball Camp from July 25-27. The camp organizers sent two graduated college volleyball players came to help coach the girls and help them advance their skills.

“It was 15 solid hours of volleyball in three days. I think our team learned a lot and we were able to carry over the skills we learned and practiced to our games,” said Varsity Volleyball Head Coach Alexis Speer.

Boys tennis stayed on the courts during the summer as well. The boys conditioned and hosted Floyd Central for a joint practice and scrimmage.

“I believe the summer workouts definitely helped us move in the right direction. We are building a foundation of hard work and making no excuses, and I think going forward, this will benefit us for years to come,” said Varsity Tennis Head Coach Matt Wolfe.

Cross Country began preparing for their season by meeting twice a week during the summer to run and get into athletic shape.

Girls golf did not have any summer workouts or conditioning, but individuals practiced on their own time during the summer to be at their best when their season began in August.

Not only did summer sports begin preparing, but winter sports also got a jump start on their seasons.

The varsity boys basketball team was in the gym speed training, conditioning and weightlifting. They participated in several shootouts and tournaments, as well as a league out of Salem.

Additionally, the team traveled to Marion, Indiana to attend Super Hoops, a camp held at Indiana Wesleyan University. The three-day camp ended with both the varsity team and junior varsity team winning first in their divisions. The C-team made it to the semi-final game.

“We feel really good about the upcoming season. They all work hard and have great attitudes. It should be a fun year,” said Varsity Boys Basketball Head Coach Dusty Cole.

The Lady Rams basketball team spent many hours working in the gym as well. The varsity squad played 22 games over the summer, with the junior varsity group playing 20. Together, the girls played in two different summer leagues, two shootout tournaments and also went to Indiana Wesleyan University’s team camp. This summer was the second year the Lady Rams attended the camp.

In a span of three days, the Rams played against several teams from all across Indiana. The junior varsity team made it into the final four as the varsity went into the championship game. The Lady Rams defeated the South Central Satellites in the final game and were tournament champions of their pool with a final record of 8-1.

Varsity Girls Basketball Head Coach Donavan Crews was very pleased with his team’s summer performance.

“We did have a very good summer. We played a few 3A and 4A schools, as well as a couple of the top teams in Kentucky. I think we got better and better as the summer went on and we began to find our identity,” said Crews.

Coaches and athletes alike hope to see benefits from all the hard work they put in over the summer throughout their seasons.