By: Brett Gilbert ’18, Staff Writer
The Lebanon Valley College football team will return to the field for spring practice throughout the month of March.
This will be the first time that the team is back on the field together since the end of last season. The team hopes to build on its three game winning streak to end the 2016 season by carrying some of that momentum to spring practices, and eventually to the start of the 2017 season.
“Spring practice helps carryover what we built the season before into the next season,” Evan Lysczek, a junior fullback, said. “Less time off the field leads to a smoother transition.”
The team will be on the field together 10 to 15 times throughout the course of the month. Spring practices are not in pads due to NCAA regulations, but the team will still be able to be on the field and work on the mental side of the game.
During their time on the field, the team will focus on being precise in their offensive and defensive schemes. It is a great opportunity for the players to gain more experience within the system.
The players also get a chance to compete with one another during spring ball. The competition comes in the form of live seven on seven drills.
“I hope these workouts serve as an opportunity for our freshmen to begin to develop and own their college craft,” Blake Lutz, a junior safety, said. “Throughout the spring, they often are able to get reps that they were unable to get during the season.”
The team also uses spring practice as another chance to bond with each other and become closer as a unit.
“We believe putting our selves into uncomfortable situations together will help us build relationships that will carry over to the field,” Lutz said.
The players are extremely focused on improving during each workout and practice. The team is specifically working towards improving consistency in their competition level and increasing their overall athleticism.
“We push and compete with each other everyday in the weight room, on the track, and on the field,” Lutz said. “We must continue to improve as athletes to compete with Widener, Albright, Delaware Valley and Stevenson.”
Spring practice lays down the foundation for training camp and their first opponent next fall. As the 2017 football season begins, the team hopes to take advantage of every workout and practice in order to work towards their ultimate goal of winning a Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) championship.
beg005@lvc.edu