Kats focus on fitness, development early on
8/4/2016 10:41:00 PM | Soccer
HUNTSVILLE – The Sam Houston State soccer program opened fall practice on Wednesday but after spending the second summer session enrolled in classes and working out together, the first session on the field together seemed anything but new.
The squad took in a 90-minute session on both Wednesday and Thursday evenings at Pritchett Field, as the players closed out summer finals and welcomed in the highly-anticipated season.
“It was good having the team come in during the summer because we're more comfortable with each other,” senior Jordan Jarzombek said. “We have built good relationships with each other. I think this group will be strong. We have a good freshman class coming in and I think we work together well.”
The team focused on fitness and movement development on the first day before turning to technical work a day later. Among the exercises included an 11-on-11 drill and ball transition.
“It is definitely exciting,” head coach Tom Brown said. “You finish up in April with what we do on the field and obviously they are here a few more weeks with finals but it's a long wait through the summer to get back out here. You plan over quite a few months to get to this date so now it's fast and furious to get them prepared for our first couple games and see how the season plays itself out.”
While the program graduated 10 players from a year ago, seven new seniors step into the wing to welcome a roster of 11 freshmen and two transfers. Among those newcomers includes junior Beryl Smith who arrives at Sam Houston from Oklahoma State.
“So far I've really loved it,” Smith said. “The girls are awesome and are super easy to play with. I came in during the summer and I feel like am playing well with them. Already, it feels like I've been here for a long time. I think our team is really good and we can win a lot of games.”
Meanwhile, Micaela Birt is one of six sophomores on the squad who have high hopes after opening their Sam Houston careers with a trip to the Southland Conference Tournament championship game. After playing in 20 matches last year, Birt says her role is now to help welcome in the new freshmen.
“Coming in last year, you were so nervous because you don't know everybody as a freshman,” Birt said. “You don't know how good the team is or if you're going to make friends. Now, as a sophomore, you know your role and you're helping the freshmen feel comfortable.”
The team will open its equivalent of two-a-days on Friday, getting in work during both morning and evening to avoid the sweltering summer heat. The team will play its lone exhibition match one week from Friday, hosting Houston from Pritchett at 6:30 p.m.
“We've got a game next week and if we weren't here this whole past Summer 2, then we're only getting a week of training in whereas now, we're getting a whole month where we gain chemistry,” Birt said. “We're getting to know each other better and I think that gives us an edge against our opponent.”
The team opens regular-season play on Aug. 19 at Alabama in a match that will be broadcast on the SEC Network Plus. The team kicks off its home campaign two days later against UTSA at 6:30 p.m. before hitting the road for nine straight.
“It's a long prep to get ready for the season, especially the conference season,” Brown said. “We'd like to get as much information as we can but we don't want to put them in situations where they get injured by doing too much too quickly.”
