By Sarah Amador
From chilly nights to sunny days, from hibernation to the blooming flowers; there’s a change from winter to spring as Granada Hills Charter’s (GHC) spring sports begin their preparation. “Preseason,” as it’s formally called, is universal for all sports, no matter the time of year. Preparation focuses on helping athletes prepare physically and mentally, alongside setting personal goals.
Last year, the track and field teams brought home the CIF Los Angeles City Section Championship, the fourth time for the boys and the first time for the girls. This year, the team is working harder than ever to defend this title for the upcoming 2026 season.
“I focus on running and weight strength training to get my legs and cardiovascular system ready for the intense season,” senior Lucy Lam said. “Even if it’s at an easier pace, our coach emphasizes its importance in building our aerobic base.”
But performing well goes beyond physical preparation. For most athletes, mental preparation and developing the correct mindset also plays a large role during the meets that matter.
“Preseason helps me feel more confident during races, knowing I’ve put in the work to properly prepare for meets,” Lam said.
The feeling is universal for athletes, across a variety of sports.
Like track and field, the swim and dive team won the 2025 CIF Los Angeles City Section Championship, the second win for the boys and the third for the girls. They’re not only training hard, but visualizing their next wins for the 2026 season.
“Preparation builds confidence in swimming, translating to performance during competitions throughout the season,” senior Jennifer Dansirimitri said. “So before games that matter, I try to visualize myself racing the specific event, which helps me know what to later expect.”
The mental perspective of sports can be difficult to develop and hone, especially amidst the pressure of games and meets, practices and academic work. It can become overwhelming and exhausting to balance it all in one day.
Goal setting during preseason can help relieve athletes of some of that stress. It ensures that athletes focus on working towards specific targets that can be applied during meets and games, rather than going through the motions of daily practices.
“Because I don’t swim club anymore, my goals during preseason always involve achieving times one to three seconds slower than my personal best, from when I was a freshman swimming for Granada,” Dansirimitri said. “So during dual meets, I swim the 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke with this in mind, in order to reach my goals during CIF.”
With the track and swim season openers quickly approaching, the Highlander runners and swimmers are looking to defend their titles. They’re working hard day in and day out, physically exerting and mentally preparing themselves for the difficult, yet exciting seasons ahead.
The Plaid Press 