As fall sports come to an end, winter sports are quickly approaching. Tryouts for winter sports are held the week of November 11, and each sport is looking for something a little different in the athletes that will make up their ’24-25 squads.

Gymnastics

Taylor Adams is the head gymnastics coach. She has a set plan for what she assesses at tryouts. For the first and third day of tryouts she will be evaluating the students on floor and bars. The second and fourth days are dedicated to vault and beam.

The gymnastics team is not just about the students’ skills; it’s about the students who make up the team, which makes Lightridge Gymnastics unique.

“Our team is made up of the most resilient and hardworking gymnasts,” Adams said. “Gymnastics can be nerve-racking, so the girls rely heavily on each other to push through and succeed.”

Girls basketball

Ed Knox is the girls basketball head coach. He wants a team with players with technical skills and athleticism. He also weighs candidates heavily on energy, effort, and enthusiasm. For the basketball aspect of tryouts, Knox looks for a mixture of all these within the players’ skills.

“We always look for a solid mix of objective skills with the ability to be a great teammate,”
Knox said.

Being a part of this team doesn’t just mean playing basketball but also being involved in the community, which the coaches and players value and look forward to when participating in the team. Knox makes it a priority to create a positive environment for players to do their best and he enjoys being part of the basketball program that he has been part of since the beginning.

“Our team is becoming increasingly competitive, but in addition to our regular season, we are also involved in other activities such as playing the Lightridge Unified Team which is an incredible event and gives the team opportunities to give back to the community,” Knox said.

Cheer and dance team

Ava Lalli is the head coach for sideline cheer and the Lightridge Dance Team. When it comes to tryouts for these teams, she wants people who will be a positive representation of the school and the students at Lightridge.

“We want athletes who have presence, good memory, placement of motions, crowd appeal, enthusiasm, and are just overall good humans that we want to represent our school,” Lalli said, emphasizing being on the cheer team is not just about representing the school.

“It’s being able to be at every single home game and cheering on both the boys and the girls team,” Lalli said.

She hopes the next season will have students with a positive attitude and enjoy cheering on their fellow classmates.

Wrestling

Ryan Barden is the assistant coach for the wrestling team. This team is a non-cut sport and considered a martial art, therefore anyone can make the team as long as the student is registered with a valid physical. Since anyone is allowed to make the team, the first year is focused on building a solid base and basic fundamentals for the students to progress for next year, or just advance in commonly helpful skills.

Barden believes the skills learned from wrestling also help in other areas of the students academic and physical life.

“You will be mentally stronger, have faster hand eye coordination, better footwork, etc,” Barden said. However, Barden went on to explain that gaining all these skills doesn’t mean the sport is easy, because wrestling is an individual sport where you are only on the mat with one opponent and people are watching.

“There is no one to blame except yourself in this sport,” Barden said. While this can seem intimidating, students aren’t required to win but as long as the students are motivated to improve.

“Even if you don’t get a win all season, you will gain the respect of your teammates because they went through the same grind as you. Those that have wrestled will say: without hesitation; wrestling is the toughest sport in the world. That’s what makes this sport special,” Barden said.

Swimming
Katie Johnson is the head varsity swimming coach.

“We have a list of criteria that the prospective athletes get in advance,” said Johnson. “They have to be able to swim a certain distance to mimic the endurance needed for one of our practices.”

They have to be competitive in all four strokes, so they won’t get disqualified in a meet and have to be in the top twenty boys and top twenty girls during time trials, performing 50 yards of each stroke.

The key goal of the swim program is to continue to build their community.
“We are looking to come together more as a team and bond a little bit more,“ Johnson said.

She also recommends getting in the pool as much as possible and doing a lot of cross-training.

The team is all very supportive of each other and many of the upperclassmen set a supportive foundation, which is why Johnson believes students should join the swim team.

“We have really strong leaders who are constantly cheering for their teammates and they set a really strong example for the younger athletes coming up,” said Johnson.

Indoor track and field

Wilfredo Clemente is the head varsity coach for indoor track and field.

“During tryouts we look for times based on what events they’re trying out for,” said Clemente.

Distance runners will be assessed for their 800 and 1600 meter times, sprinters evaluated on their 100, 200, and 400 meter times, and throwers on how far they can throw a shot put.

“The program is dedicated to developing well-rounded individuals that not only achieve personal athletic growth but also become responsible and compassionate members of their community beyond life after high school,” Clemente said.

The coaching staff wants to resonate with students to drive for excellence on and off the field throughout the season.

Students should join the track and field team because of what they can learn being a part of the program.

“Teamwork, leadership, accountability, integrity, and respect. I think that will take them a long way in life,” Clemente said.

The boys basketball coach was contacted but had not responded at the time of publication.