Senior Grace Arrington gets her hair done by art teacher Maegan Fitzgerald before a softball game. Photo by Jason Iwara.
RHS athletes prepare for games in a variety of ways
By Taj Harrell, Levi Brown & Jason Iwara
Music. Food. Hair care.
These are some of the many ways Riverside athletes prepare to play.
For many Riverside boys lacrosse players, music helps calm their nerves before a game. Senior midfielder Aaron Montgomery listens to a lot of different artists to get ready to play.
“Drake, Westside Gun and Freddie Gibbs are some of my favorite artist to listen to,” Mongtomery said. “I feel like it helps me clear my head and just gives me the right mindset, helps me focus more.”
Senior Sebastian Cruz Valdez also uses music to keep calm.
“I feel like it just puts you in that mindset,” Cruz Valdez said. “It gets you locked in.”
However, some athletes take a different pre-game approach.
“I like to take deep breaths,” sophomore goalkeeper Preston Russell said. “Stretching while taking deep breaths helps me feel every muscle.”
Lacrosse Captain Lucas Dodge also prefers silence.
“I just sit in silence or play wall ball,” he said. “Throwing the ball against the wall helps work on my passing, so I get my stick dialed in beforehand.”
Like Dodge, senior softball player Grace Arrington avoids talking to teammates before a game.
“I go and get my hair done by Ms. Fitz, then I get dressed,” Arrington said. “I do not go to the locker room because I do not believe in socializing before warm ups. Then I eat, either the rest of my lunch or a protein bar.”
The hair, she said, is key. “I deviated from my hair for one home game, and we lost,” she said. So I said ‘never again’…and we haven’t lost a game since then.”
Senior Juleah Somers takes hair into consideration for her pre-game routine as well.
“I think if I play really bad with a certain hairstyle, I won’t do that same one for a while afterwards,” Somers said. “So if I do a ponytail, I’ll do a braid the next time.”
Senior baseball player Ryan Dipolitto likes to get to the field early and relax.
“I’ll get there two hours before the game,” he said. “Usually sit around for a bit, just calming my mind. I always drink a Fairlife protein shake.”
Senior sprinter Saniya Thurman focuses on staying hydrated and fueled, too.
“I listen to music and drink lots of water, and make sure I get a good meal in,” Thurman said.
So far, all the different routines seem to be working.
Montgomery starts alongside Cruz Valdez, and the pair has combined to score 22 goals and notch 32 points through the team’s first seven games.
Dodge is the team’s leading scorer. He has 30 goals on the season and is closing in on 250 career points.
As of Thursday, April 23, the men’s lacrosse team is 4-6 and plays Voyager Academy on April 28.
Arrington has a batting average of .471 and an on-base percentage of .548. On the mound, she’s struck out 109 batters, the most in the Tobacco Road Conference, and recorded her 300th career strikeout on April 20.
Somers has a batting average of .459 and an on base percentage of .583. Somers also has a slugging percentage of .703, one of the best in the state, according to MaxPreps.
As of April 23, the softball team is 11-4 and plays Chapel Hill on April 28.
Dipolitto is having the best season of his three-year varsity career. In 14 games played he has a home run, 19 hits and 18 stolen bases, which ranks 11th in the 7A division. He also has a batting average of .396, which is 8th in the conference.
As of April 23, the baseball team is 10-6 and plays Northern next on April 27.
Thurman set a personal record this spring in the 200 meter dash with a time of 28.75. The track and field team’s conference championship meet is April 28, followed by the NCHSAA Central Regional Meet on May 8.
