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County athletes take differing paths as final week before fall sports season winds down
The final week before the 2023-24 IHSAA Sports Season happens to be a busy one in Putnam County.
With the Putnam County 4-H Fair taking place in the same week before practices begin, coaches have several things to take into consideration as many athletes have plenty of work to do at the Putnam County Fairgrounds over the course of the event.
Finding the right balance between wanting to get workouts in, fair duties and giving kids a chance to enjoy the festivities makes the last week more complex than most during the summer and there is no one-size-fits-all answer.
Among the teams taking to the field for their practices, Greencastle kept its same Monday-Tuesday-Thursday schedule it has this summer.
Others altered their final week, whether it was changing the entire week, taking different days off or making the fair itself a team activity.
“We went the first three days of the week then gave the kids the rest of the week off before official practices start next Monday,” North Putnam head coach Scott Moore said.
“Last year, we practiced during Fair Week and I personally had mixed feelings about it,” Cloverdale head coach Tyler Lotz said. “I was involved in 4-H and we have a few kids involved as well.
“For the others, we want them to be teenagers and go to the fair, so we took a different route this year as we decided to lift in the mornings while having the evening off all this week.”
“We had non-mandatory practice this week,” South Putnam head coach Chuck Sorrell noted. “We are hitting the weights and cardio hard.
“We also are working the trash at the fair so we work in community service and responsibilities for our kids.”
Soccer teams also took varied approaches to the week with some enjoying giving their players a chance to rest up before formal practices begin while others let the necessities of the week dictate how much work they get in.”
“I have typically given the last week of the summer off, almost like a second moratorium week,” Greencastle girls’ head coach Scott Monnett said. “It’s a chance to rest the body before things really get crazy.
“We have a lot of girls that are in 4-H and I always want to promote off the field stuff for the girls. I’ve been excited to see them in a different light this week.”
“We still practice like normal,” North Putnam boys’ head coach Kyle Morgan said. “Over the years, we’ve had a number of athletes show animals and practice hasn’t been great.
“Our week will be status quo as nothing is mandatory, so those than can’t be at a session, we understand. We want our kids to be active in sports and in other things, like being at the fair.
“Things have been different before and we have a flexible schedule; we’ve taken the entire week off before,” Morgan added.
“We have just two sessions this week,” Greencastle boys’ head coach JD Sims pointed out. “There’s nothing special this week either, just getting together and playing.
“We want to give them a break before it all begins.”
Changes in the weather, with lengthy periods of heat arriving this week, will alter plans whether its by changing practice times, easing up a bit or by making sure athletes are given plenty of chances to keep hydrated.
Cross country runners typically avert most of the worst weather by practicing early in the morning as North Putnam has done this week, while for South Putnam, taking a small step back to adapt to the current conditions has been the aim.
“For this last week of summer, we are going three days with lighter mileage,” Eagle head coach Brandon Welti said. “It’s nothing too special.
“Next week we will go all week in the mornings, again just keeping it light as we adjust to the heat and humidity.”
While volleyball doesn’t have quite the same issues to contend with as the outdoor sports do, getting the balance right in the final week is still important.
“My philosophy on the week before tryouts and official practice is to do what’s best for you team,” North Putnam head coach Jenny Heron said. “Every year you will have different needs with different groups of personnel and that’s something as coach you have to read.
“The best thing for this week is to feel like you’re prepped and bonded before the season starts and I believe we are in a great place as a team, both mentally and physically. We had an open gym on Monday, a break Tuesday as I had to travel for work and Thursday we had open gym and weights.”
And when Monday comes?
“On Sunday we will have an overnight at the school with our middle school teams and we practice at exactly midnight to kick off the season, which we call “Midnight Volleyball Madness,” Heron added. “The girls can’t touch a ball until midnight due to IHSAA rules but we will do fun games, eat pizza and have big sister-little sister activities with our middle schoolers.
“I’m excited to get the season going as we have grown so much mentally and physically as a team since last year.”