As winter approaches, so do some drastic changes to the Aspen girls lacrosse team. Girls who play a winter sport will face challenges this year trying to juggle two sports at once. The demanding season may cause kids to struggle in committing themselves to both sports.

This year rather than starting the lacrosse season in February, the Aspen girls will be getting a head start by beginning training on November 12^th.  They will be hitting the gyms every Tuesday and Thursday, working on conditioning, stick work, and determination and will to win.

“All of the changes have been driven by the players, they have all expressed there excitement for the season and have drive to begin working early and so there is no reason not to get the season cranked up as soon as possible,” Aspen girl’s lacrosse head coach Lauren Riddick said.

Though it is not required for players to show up to the pre-season practices and that winter sports do take priority, the coaches have made it clear that the athletes who do not show up will be held at the same standards as everyone else in the pre-season evaluation.

The kids who also are playing winter sports are beginning to feel the pressure with everything beginning at the same time.  “I think this will better prepare us for our season but I also think its going to be really hard to balance other things.   Because I play sports all year long and with basketball also beginning this month I don’t want to be half committed but I feel like I have to go to the open gyms for lacrosse,” said sophomore Mackenzie Conner.

The pre-season evaluation, which determines whether or not you will be on JV, Varsity, or asked to come back the next year, will take place on the first day of season practice and will consist of 100-yard sprints, push-ups, sit-ups, and stick work.

With eleven new freshmen and a total of 48 players signed up so far, the aspen girl’s lacrosse team is huge and still growing.  The staff has made it a point that they want to give everyone equal opportunities to be placed on the appropriate teams.  They will only be making cuts to players if it is clear at the pre-season evaluation that those players are not committed and have not put in the effort to come to the assessment prepared.  If this is the case, the player will be asked to try out for the team the following year.

Pre-season is not the only change being made to the team but they are also going to be changing the way practices are run

“We are going to approach the practices more competitively, challenging offense vs. defense, emphasizing conditioning, and paying more attention to stick work.  That being said, the person who puts the most effort may not be the best player but eventually they will be the best player and that is what we are evaluating,” said Riddick.

With all of the drastic changes the girls lacrosse program does not want to discourage people from playing.  The changes are simply to make the spring a better season for everyone.

“I think this is good for our team, We have had the same goal of being Conference Champs from the start of the program in 2010. Our pre-season will get us motivated and fit so we don’t have to spend the first few weeks only getting back into shape. The cuts are harsh and exclusion is really not the point. The goal is to have the best team that loves lacrosse, and of course to get that ‘banner’ that we have all been drooling over,” senior Nina Christensen said.