The Leesville Road High School girls basketball team began their workouts in the early summer despite being a winter sport. The Pride spend their off season putting in the extra hours on the court to improve their game long before their season’s official practices start.

Finley Lewis, senior, said, “Going to all of the workouts and hitting the weight room [helps everyone] get a feel for the team.”

While other players like Lainey Andruchowitz, sophomore, said via text, “The best benefit of getting an early start to my season is the condition and getting more fit to prepare for the season ahead.”

Scrimmages and drills are how the LRHS women’s basketball team spends most of their time at workouts. Andruchowitz said via text, “A typical workout starts with warmups, then the team does drills, and we finish off with a full court scrimmage.”

The season’s early start makes such a noticeable impact. Coach John Danehower said via email, “Most of the new athletes were around for at least part of the summer, so they already have a leg up on others who were not around.” Danehower also uses the summer to get players on the same page so “they know what to expect and how much energy they are going to need for each workout.”

Leesville’s early start to their women’s basketball season puts them above most of the competition.