By Jessica Waggoner ’12, Staff Writer

In the fall and spring sports seasons, several Newark Academy athletic teams travel up and down the east coast for preseason trips. In the next couple of weeks, the boys and girls lacrosse teams, as well as the softball and baseball teams, will be heading to Florida to start their preseason training.  Golf and tennis are packing their bags as well.  Yet as these trips approach, it seems fitting to examine the necessity of the practice.

To determine whether or not preseason trips are necessary, their pros and cons must be weighed.  To begin with the positives, Mr. Gertler, assistant to the varsity baseball team, explains that, “The main thing that teams get out of this is bonding as a team.”  However, there are pragmatic concerns associated with taking the trips as well.  As Mr. Gertler elucidates, “For the spring sports in particular, we are not able to practice up here in the cold weather.”

Athletic Director Mr. Manigan, an advocate for the trips, reiterates this notion. “We have a massive advantage over other schools in our conference that don’t have the time or resources to take these trips. These seven days are all about getting valuable work in that would be impossible given the current conditions. It does wonders for readying our teams for the season.”

Besides bonding and an increased ability to practice, taking athletes away for a week to train allows NA students an ability to train without the stress of classes and other commitments.  Students have the ability to relax and catch up on some sleep, while also working hard and essentially enjoying a week spent similar to that of a professional athlete.  The trips also allow athletes increased time on the field or court, allowing them to really hone their skills before the season starts.

Despite these positive aspects of the trips however, there are other aspects that cause conflict. “There is a definite feeling of pressure regarding having to go,” Mr. Gertler admits. He explains that athletes have to, “Forgo first and foremost familial obligations, and second, maybe even a more significant [hurdle] to some, [they must incur] the additional costs.”  Spring break is just two weeks, and besides athletics training, families are trying to squeeze in vacations, college visits, time with family, and doctors’ visits.  Students as well need some time to unwind after a hectic winter in school, and perhaps start studying for their A.P. and IB exams.

Mr. Manigan understands the struggle that some student athletes must go through regarding the trip, but explains that “these are practice days no matter what,” continuing to convey the point that if we were actually located in warmer weather, the teams would gather for day-long sessions anyway. The athletic department saw the difficulties that athletes were having financially and with other commitment, and shortened the trips significantly recently, thus allowing for ample amounts of free spring break time and lesser financial burdens.

While the trips are in no way mandatory for players, those who attend are afforded a very large advantage over their peers when considering their prospects of making the varsity squad of their respective team.  The trips are certainly viewed as very enjoyable, but they are also a full week of training, during which coaches begin to format their rosters and test out players in varying positions.  Missing preseason means a loss of a week’s worth of bonding, training, and jockeying for a varsity position.

As far as the cost, with trips requiring round-trip plane tickets, this has been a major objection as well.  Last year, trips were canceled on account of their  cost by the Newark Academy administration, a decision made based on the burden the cost could have for families already suffering from the Great Recession.  However, this year the trips have returned in force, bringing back the same argument about whether the large cost is really buying enough value to make the trip worth their price tags.

Most athletes seem very enthusiastic about traveling for preseason. As member of the baseball team, Sean Mulligan ’12 comments that, “It’s the best experience of the whole baseball season.  Everybody has fun…[and] it’s a good way to start the seasons.”  This is a sentiment shared by many athletes, who while perhaps biased on account of not writing the check for the trip, nonetheless enjoy the trips and view the practice as extremely constructive and beneficial to starting off their seasons on a powerful note.

In response the question of whether the trips are mandatory however, Mr. Gertler believes that it really comes down to priorities.  Surely there are pros and cons to taking the trips, but he comments, “You take the good with the bad,” explaining that overall,“they [the trips] serve much more in the way of good than in the way of bad.”