“Championships are won in the off-season,” says a mural hanging up in the fitness center. Even when athletes aren’t playing hard on the fields, they make sure they are working hard elsewhere.

At Staples athletes most commonly participate on another non-staples team during their off-season to stay fit and maintain their skills.

Summer, an off-season for baseball players, isn’t a grace period for Noah Yokoi ’16, plays for an intense summer baseball league called Team Citius. For Yokoi it’s important to not lose any of the skills learned during the regular season and to build up more for the upcoming season.

“Summer and fall are used to get better and stay consistent with things I have to work on,” Yokoi said.

Jake Reiner ’17, a Staples tennis player, also plays for a separate team during his off-season. Tennis season is in the spring, but Reiner works hard all fall and winter. At the tennis club Reiner plays at, there’s a team of other students who go to different schools around Fairfield county.

Reiner plays on a team run by the USTA (United States Tennis Association) called Junior Team Tennis.

On this team, not only do athletes get to improve their skill, but they also have an opportunity to play with other kids outside of staples that enjoy the same sport as them.

“It gives you an opportunity to play with kids from other schools rather than against them. The team was also co-ed and had kids of all ages, so I got a chance to play with different ages and guys and girls,” Reiner said.

James Banbury ’16 and Lelia Boley ’16 both row for the Saugatuck Rowing Club. Banbury believes that the advantages to playing a non-staples sport are tremendous. “Rowing differs from all other sports. It never gets easier, you just get faster” Banbury said. Boley agrees that playing a non staples sport gives you opportunities you wouldn’t get by playing a staples sport. “It forms a community that goes beyond Staples” said Boley.

Jordan Ragland ’16, a varsity field hockey player, plays on a non-Staples field hockey team. She believes the new league encourages kids to take the sport to the next level of intensity.

“You get to work with coaches who are more experienced and some are even international players. I get to be more focused on my skills and really improve whereas in the season sometimes you can goof off with friends.” said Ragland,“It’s a wakeup call and you only think about your sport.”