Connor Lusty bowling in the Boys Premier Youth Cricket competition
What does the lockdown mean for sporting students? How has it affected them and what are they doing to stay fit and motivated?
Following on from our catch-up with two Queen Margaret College rower Mollie Nicol and Wellington Girls’ College runner Emma Douglass HERE, we check in with two local male athletes to see what they are doing to keep fit and motivated. St Pat’s Silverstream sprint champion Oliver Krijnen and Onslow College First XI cricketer Connor Lusty.
We put a few questions to each below.
College Sport Wellington: Please tell us what you were preparing for before the Lockdown?
Ollie: Before the whole lockdown happened I was preparing for the second day of the Wellington Junior Champs and looking ahead to the North Island Champs in Hamilton which would have been the last big event to close the season off.
Connor: When the lockdown started our cricket team had just finished our Saturday competition games for the term, finishing with 3 wins and 4 losses to qualify for the 6-team competition for term 4 for the first time since 2016. We had been starting to prepare for our Summer tournament Week, which for cricket is the Hunt Trophy three-day Twenty20 tournament. I’m also a part of our Onslow College 1st XV Rugby team and I was about to start attending pre-season training the week that the lockdown was put in place.
CSW: what you are doing to keep fit and train?
Ollie: To keep fit and keep my body active at the moment I’m doing home exercises like plyometrics and lots of core work as well as doing a lot of power work to try and get stronger
When I can get out, depending on the weather, I normally try to work on my block starts and my technique in the front yard or at the park close by.
Connor: I’ve been trying to stay as fit and active during this period of lockdown as possible. Cricket is my number one sport, and being a spin bowler I’ve found myself going to the nets quite often just to have a bowl, to stay as fit and to keep my training levels up. I have also been regularly going for runs, not only to stay active and keep a routine going, but as we have been advised by our 1st XV coaches to stay fit and keep some sort of fitness programme going. I have been running up Mt Kaukau most days.
CSW: Please share a lockdown sports practice or training tip for your school mates and others out there in the same situation?
Ollie: Make sure you are drinking enough water as with nothing to do sometimes I forget to drink and this affects my energy levels greatly. Another tip I have is getting your family to do it with you for example my brother and I have been working out together and we do core work and simple things together like push ups and burpees and whatever else we can think of. Really make sure you are eating right.
Connor: If there is any tip I can give to anyone out there, it’s just to stay fit and active! During times like these it’s often hard to maintain the same diet as to what you’d normally have, but staying fit during this lockdown time is something that is in your control. Challenge yourself, make yourself work hard. Go for a run, go kick a football, go to the cricket nets. Do what makes you happy and active!
CSW: Are you in contact with your sporting friends about the above and are you motivating each other remotely?
Ollie: I’ve been in contact with most of my training partners and friends checking up on them. We want to see how each other are doing and to share exercises to make sure all of us are staying in shape and healthy.
Connor: We have a Facebook Messenger chat going for our 1st XV team, which a lot of the boys are using to send through their progress of either just running/fitness or strength and conditioning. By doing that, I believe we are motivating one another. On our 1st XV group page, we also have our assistant coach Dean Gorrie figuring out programmes which are best suited to us all, and reminders to stay fit.
Are you a student in Wellington who is involved with sport and wants to feature in an article like this? Fill out the form HERE and send it to james@collegesport.org.nz to be considered.
-Story courtesy of College Sport Media
The post Sporting students staying motivated during Lockdown (Part 2) appeared first on College Sport Wellington.
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