As athletes at WJ are starting to train for the upcoming fall and winter sports seasons, every Wildcat is looking to improve.

The soccer team is no exception; with outgoing seniors leaving vacant roster spots, the squad anticipates seeing new faces as fall nears.

“One of our goals this season is to try to fill the shoes of people who are leaving,” sophomore Hunter Parler said. “Those guys played such a big role, and we kinda need some other people to step up if we wanna stay really competitive.”

Team training heightens over the summer. Players are working on improving their passing and efficiency in the attacking third and in other areas that do not involve the ball.

“We work all different parts of our body,” Parler said. “We do workouts and lifts to become stronger and have better endurance to be ready for the season. Soccer is such a physical game, so we obviously gotta practice playing scrimmages ourselves, but we have to know that we are gonna be in shape and fit for the season.”

While the primary objective is to win matches, Parler hopes the team can improve their chemistry and focus against rivals such as Whitman, against whom varsity soccer lost in the playoffs two years prior, by putting their efforts into the mental aspect of the game.

“People underestimate the importance that having a good mentality and kinda grit to you has,” Parler said. “Soccer is as much mental as it is physical. If you can’t be a good leader and anticipate plays that are happening before you, you are hurting your team.”

The girls’ basketball team has also begun preparing for their Summer League and the DC Live tournament. The team combines repetition from individual practice with implementing skills in practice and a game setting.

“We have summer league games, Mondays and Wednesdays, and then practices Tuesdays and Thursdays, plus any practicing we do on our own,” sophomore Ye’ela Zilberman said. “We’ve really just been working on getting the team together during the practices and getting reps.”

Practice leads to real improvement in player skill and chemistry on the court, as the earlier the team starts practicing, the better prepared and ready they’ll be for the winter season.

“I am getting better, whether that is just getting more moves or just getting my shots better and more consistent,” Zilberman said. “As a team, we’re just working on our passing and how we work together overall, and our overall energy and tenacity.”

While players improve heavily playing with their teammates from school, some, like Zilberman, also play on a club team. That opportunity allows players to try new skills they are still learning in an environment where teamwork is valued.

“I feel like [in] club, my team is the Classics, it’s less about just your individual work and more just about getting practice and playing with a team,” Zilberman said. “You can try new things, and I feel like I am really getting a lot of practice and a lot of just a lot of games.”

As returning players prepare for fall and winter with a summer of training, they hope their hard work will impact their 2025-26 seasons positively.