December
Layout published in the JHS Black and White 2019 December issue in December 2019.
Taking Care of Business
The student section is empty, the turf untouched by
cleats, and the stadium completely silent. It is three hours before gametime. Running back Jordan Rusch ‘20 sits in the locker room by himself in his usual spot, headphones in and beats turned up. He goes through his usual routine. Three laps around the locker room. Then going outside, Rusch does two laps around the football field followed by some laps inside the field. Running complete, he heads back into the locker room to wait. Before he knows it, Rusch is taking the field as the music plays and hundreds of spectators cheer loudly.
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This past year, the athletic teams made multiple state
tournament appearances. Performing at these levels, student-athletes are often placed in the spotlight and have to handle the pressure of competing in front of large crowds in high stakes situations. While athletes face these conditions, coaches and several strategies help athletes prepare for the road to a championship.
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When facing the pressure of playing in football games,
focus is key. For Rusch, competing during a high-stakes game comes almost naturally. “Once the first play is over with, usually it’s like, okay now I can drain everything else beside what’s going on around the game,” Rusch said. “I don’t really know how it works, it just happens.”
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Words by Taylor Siebert
Layout by Joel Kellar
Football Coach Tony Kruse notices that his players take a couple plays to get into the right mindset for games. “Once you get those first few snaps in on a Friday night, it just turns into a game
like any other week,” Kruse said. “And guys are able to settle in. There’s always that start of the game where it’s just a matter of getting over the game jitters and our routines and the different things we have in place usually help players do that and they’ve always been able to perform to their ability.”
Baseball pitcher Nick Crandell ‘20 has a similar habit of drowning out the noise during high-stakes games. “My thoughts are completely on the game,” Crandell said. “I don’t pay attention to
my teammates or the fans at all. I’m just mentally prepared for what I’m about to go do.”
Although concentration helps during a game, players thrive off a large and loud student section. Basketball player Maya McDermott ‘20 is one of those players. “I think that the student section
is a huge component to our game,” McDermott said. “I think it helps us fire up. I think it gives us energy and just having all of that support is really helpful.”
For the players, the student section can truly alter the nature of the game. “It’s a big help ‘cause without the crowd, the environment’s different,” Rusch said. “It’s kinda like you don’t want to
be playing football in a quiet room. You don’t want to be the only ones talking. It’s a big impact in my opinion.”
Some people would find it intimidating to have peers watching every move in a game. However, Crandell embraces the opportunity, especially with the thrilling environment of state
tournaments. “It’s something to look forward to,” Crandell said. “It’s something to have a goal. And once you’re there, just live it up. Just soak it all in because there is a lot to soak in.”
However, the attention comes with some additional consequences, as athletes also have to be conscious of what they do outside their sport as well. For the girls’ basketball team that means
having team meetings where the coaches remind them of the importance of having good conduct off the court as well. “A lot of people are watching you on the court, but off the court you don’t know who’s watching,” McDermott said. “Coaches, kids looking up to you and I know that little girls come to our games. And just to think anyone could be watching so you have to be appropriate with what you do, what you say, how you act, and what you put on social media.”
Although coaches provide guidance beyond just how to play on gameday, their role can be even more crucial when it comes time for athletes to compete. Cross country runner Aleah Tenpas
‘22 appreciates the encouragement she gets from her coaches before a race. “They just tell us that we’ve had a really good week of training and just like where we are in the race, don’t get down on yourself if you’re not where you want to be,” Tenpas said. “Just react to that and always push harder or speed up or whatever you have to do.”
Cross country coach Patrick Hennes makes it a goal to calm his runners in stressful situations. “I think the most important aspect is the fact that there is enough pressure, there’s enough
intensity there to begin with that as coaches our goal needs to be to bring that down so that the athlete is able to give their best possible performance,” Hennes said. “Usually, what that means is clearing away as much of that pressure and intensity as possible and just letting them relax and focus.”
For girls’ cross country, this year’s state competition came with the added pressure of redemption after breaking their state championship streak in 2018. Bella Heikes ’21 noticed this impact
even in practice. “We were just so relieved to have it back,” Heikes said. “And we worked really hard throughout the season. We had multiple morning practices a week. Our mileage went up a lot. And so we did a lot more to insure that we would get it this year.”
Hennes attributes the championship title to his athlete’s drive and work throughout the season. “Most of the pressure I think is internally generated and so that’s where if we keep our focus on
what we have been doing all along throughout the season, then we already know we can do it,” Hennes said. “And so then it’s just a matter of that consistency in showing up and taking care of business.”