By It’s dark at 5:30 a.m. and minus 10 degrees outside, yet tennis shoes squeak against the gym court, lungs burn, and sweat pours down the faces of the Carroll College women’s soccer team.
This hellish time of year is begrudgingly referred to as “Winterball.” While collegiate soccer traditionally competes in the fall, the team continues to train competitively almost every day in preparation for conference games months away.
“It is mental toughness as well as physical [and] overall strength … building up for us when we can finally get outside when it’s a little nicer in the spring,” said David Thorvilson, the team’s head coach.
A typical week of “Winterball” consists of two mornings of conditioning, three afternoons of weight lifting, and indoor soccer sessions in the evenings.
Not only do the women’s team and staff work on building physical strength and speed, they also take this time to bond and build their new identity.
“This time of year is really big because you’ve graduated your senior class, and you’re also working on building the maturity and the leadership skills that we hope to transition into fall next year,” added Thorvilson.
Creating a tight-knit, family environment is highly valued.
“We really focus on family and really strengthening the relationships off the field in the off-season so that when we do get back outside it’s like it was always there,” said Meghan O’Connell, the team’s assistant coach.
The program’s off-season checklist is completed by recruiting an incoming freshman class that consists of valuable contributors to this building identity.
Both coaches are looking to bring in about 10 players per year. While they currently have four committed recruits, the coaches are excited about the additional talent coming in the fall.
This tight-knit team is going to miss impactful graduates in many key positions.
“We are graduating seven wonderful seniors,” said O’Connell. “We are definitely looking for goal scorers… We are looking for some midfield variety, but mainly we’re looking for more offensive-style players this year than in previous years.”
