Are you an upcoming athlete at Rochester High School and wondering what you should be doing to prepare for the upcoming season? Well, you happen to be in the right place! The offseason is a key time for athletes to get in shape and fine-tune their skills. From intense workouts to mental training, these athletes are working hard to ensure they’re ready for the challenges ahead. This article explores how Rochester athletes stay in peak shape and what they do during the offseason to set themselves up for a successful season.
Joelle Gadoua, a two year JV goalkeeper, shares her secrets about her offseason with us and it may come as no surprise. As a Junior at Rochester High, Joelle credits her mother as a major influence, saying, “My mom pushed me to start playing soccer at a young age.” She recalls, “One of my favorite memories is when I was a kid playing on the same team as my older brother and I punted the ball into the other goal.”
During the off-season, Gadoua focuses on conditioning and weightlifting, usually training with her teammates. “I usually group train with the girls on the team,” she explains. The Rochester Athletic Department supports her with questions about gym credits and injuries, while her mom stays as her biggest cheerleader, helping her through tough times and wins and loses. “My mom cheers me up when I’m down about my sport,” Gadoua shares.
Gadoua finds that the hardest part of preparing for the new season is getting back into the routine of intense workouts, maintaining proper nutrition, and getting enough sleep. “It’s challenging to get your body used to doing a lot of fitness every day,” she notes. Gadoua believes that Rochester High athletes stand out due to their strong sense of community and the support they receive. “We’re really community-based, and they help athletes before and after tryouts,” she says.
For younger athletes getting ready for their first season, Gadoua offers this advice: “Just try your best. It’s the best you can do, even if you’re scared for tryouts.”
Rochester takes so much pride in our amazing athletes that work very hard on and off of their sports season. Whether our athletes win or lose, Rochester keeps their pride and continues to “bleed blue” and show their support for our athletics. This unwavering support is what keeps our athletes motivated to keep doing what they’re doing.
