Importance of Off-Season Conditioning

Ever since last softball season ended I have been awaiting the start of my senior season. After our first couple of softball meetings, my least favorite part of softball came up: conditioning. When coach started discussing conditioning with us, you could hear each girl in the classroom let out a groan. Although conditioning may not be a very fun part of a sport, it’s a great way to not only get in shape before season, but allow for team bonds to form quickly.
Being in good shape before season is always a great thing. By getting yourself into shape before your sport’s season starts, you are able to then focus on learning more and working on skills related to your sport rather than spending time on exercises that are not related specifically to your sport. By getting into shape before the season actually starts, this will allow you to get off to a much quicker start when it comes to your season starting.
Also, conditioning with your teammates allows you to form team bonds in a quicker manner than just showing up to practice and finding it slightly awkward the first couple of practices. By conditioning early with your team, this will allow you to both get to know them and get a general idea of the skill level your other teammates are on. Also, those who show up to conditioning are normally the ones who are more serious about the sport and are extremely dedicated to making themselves better and the team better.
So if you are considering conditioning, do it! There are many benefits that can only help you as a player when you go through conditioing, both on a personal level and a whole different level with the rest of your teammates!