At Woodland, a small 37% of students participate in a fall sport. Every year, an athlete can expect to challenge themselves further into the season to begin developing a healthy mindset. Constructing a game plan for competitions can be challenging and stressful. One of the best climaxes every team experiences is NVL’s. This is a competition of all teams that are a part of the Naugatuck Valley League.

Seniors have the most experience when it comes to participating in this event. The Girl’s Swim & Dive team have been preparing by strategizing and creating unique lineups to bring out every swimmer’s strength in the water. Captains of the team include Maura Beltrami, Dylan Burkowsky and Liana Demirs who encourage their teammates to swim their best every meet leading up to NVL’s.

“I always tell the girl’s to swim their best but to also have fun while doing it,” said Demirs. “Not only that, but I want every girl to get in the mindset to work hard because they know they can push past their limits.”

Every athlete creates a goal to exceed at some point in the season: doing that one extra rep or last sprint up and down the field. Football captains Nathan Cook, Darren Gasparri and Michael Strachan ensure that the team gets the most out of their workouts but also take care of themselves.

“Coach, along with the captains and I, are making it a point to play every game our best and practice as if we were at State Championships,” said Gasparri. “We changed and improved upon our workouts and workload for the second half of the season to build strength against other teams in our NVL.”

From coaches to captains to teammates, positivity travels far and wide. On the court, communication and optimism is crucial to a strategic play. This year, the volleyball team had more freshmen try out than expected. For their first time experiencing this competition, the captains, Ava Cratty, Kalle Legassey, Emma Fabrizi, Samantha Sosnovich, and Maille Ianniruberto, lead their team with great examples of partnership.

“I stay positive and do my part by helping the team, which is playing to my best ability during practices and games to help myself improve and to teach the team new skills,” said Cratty.

With determination there is always dedication, the boy’s soccer team consistently shows their dedication to defending the hill. An unstoppable team, winning every game, the soccer team is striving to carry out the same mindset into NVL’s. Captains Alex Farr and Johnny Sizer bring an elite passion to the sport which they pass on to their teammates.

“Well it definitely starts with just working hard in practice. In addition to that, I always tell them to stay strong mentally,” said Farr. “Play your heart out because you never know if that is going to be your last game.”

Girl’s soccer also carries out their passion for the sport. Through bonding at pasta dinners to a strong defense lineup, this team performs intensely by only improving by each and every game. Captains Kaitlyn Leonard and Paige Letourneau demonstrate how hard work and fun is an underrated combination.

“I would say we are preparing by just continuing to put in the effort at practice and working hard every game and practice. Even days where we may not want to practice or get down on ourselves, we still persevere to work hard which is incredibly beneficial,” said Leonard. “We focus on bonding as a team which is very important for our season, we all get along extremely well.”

The smallest teams continue to be diligent despite the lack of athletes on the team. An extra lap around the track is incredibly helpful to increase endurance levels and confidence. Whether it is conditioning in the pool or running in the sand on the beach, Cross Country has an impact on Woodland athletics. Captains Nathan Trumbley, Kate Foley, and Kayo Niebrzydowski encourage their team to run fast, but keep a steady pace.

“I have been helping the team prepare by motivating everyone to work their hardest while at practice and competing in races. We are in the final stretch of prepping for NVL’s with our last regular season race approaching,” said Kate Foley. “I think that if we use the same teamwork that we have been using so far in the season, we will perform very well.”

There is no doubt that this fall season will be a great addition to Woodland’s athletic history. Every ounce of determination, along with perseverance and a healthy mindset, is an athlete’s key to their top performance during this year’s NVL.