By Sara Nesbitt

Staff Writer

The SLA Boys Ultimate Team has just finished their second season with Principal Lehmann as coach.

This year, the team saw a major expansion, with about 30 players joining the fall season.

Team Captains and Juniors Rob Jenkins and Matthew Marshall are confident about how the year will play out. The fall season is mostly a time for training, as the regular game season happens in the spring.

“As the season goes on, we’re improving. The fall is just about getting better.” Marshall said.

The team is now getting used to their 6:30am practices, and conditioning through the hallways before school starts.

“Practices are sleepy, but by 7:30 it gets fun, “ said Jenkins. “Once you get into the habit they are pretty easy to bare with, but if you don’t commit its hard to adjust.”

The latest tournament that took place on Oct. 20th ended in victory. The team won 3 out of their 4 games played.

“Tournaments are a blast, when you have to play 4 games in a day or 7 games in a weekend, thats where the conditioning and the depth really comes through.” Principal and Coach Lehmann said. “Those are really the moments where you see the teams heart come through.”

Lehmann is more than happy with the expanding group.

“I am thrilled with how hard the team is working and the growth of the team.” he said. “I couldn’t be more thrilled with the way Rob and Matt have stepped into their leadership roles.”  Jenkins and Marshall moved up to captain status after the previous captains graduated last year.

“It’s amazing being captain, especially when you come up from the first year learning that the sport existed to the leader of the team.” Jenkins said.

The team is working together for a great spring season, and they are all advocating Ultimate for new players.

“I expect most if not all wins this spring. Everyones going to be getting better.” Marshall said.

Lehmann says, “You can’t help but see the boys and the girls come in from a morning practice sweaty and muddy and smiling. They really had the passion for it, and they are really the natural leaders.”