Dayton Flyers

Aug. 21, 2009

Every new Dayton Flyer begins his career with preseason camp's first fitness test, the two-mile run. We have a total of five fitness tests throughout the duration of preseason, but the two-mile test is a chance for the incoming freshmen to make a positive first impression on the coaching staff.

It is also the time in which we upperclassmen get to show the result of work that we put in over the summer. In order to pass the test and ultimately prove whether or not we are ready to take on the physical demands of a week and a half of preseason and the long season that follows, we must complete the run in less than 12 minutes.

As this particular fitness test is as much of a competition within oneself, it has turned into a competition each year between the guys on our team that ultimately pushes us to test our physical and mental limits to learn that we are increasingly capable of helping our team grow and succeed with each game we play.

This competition for winning the two-mile run and increasing our fitness every day in preseason kicks off the 10-day-long quest for the coveted Red Jersey.

The Red Jersey was brought into play in 2006 by the coaching staff in order to increase the level of effort and competition within every bit of training that we do during camp. There is a points system based upon how well we do in certain competitions pertaining to fitness, technical ability, and team games.

There are generally three to four chances throughout each day of preseason in which to earn points by winning or having a top-level finish in the different competitions. These competitions range from fitness tests, to swimming relay races, juggling contests, cross-bar challenges, 6 v 6 games, soccer volleyball, and many more.

With the teams constantly changing with each new game, everybody on the team has a chance to earn points which creates close point spreads that keep the competitions intense.

The player with the most points at the end of each day gets to wear the coveted Red Jersey during training the next day, and the player with the most points at the end of camp gets their name stitched onto the back of the jersey to be displayed in the locker room.

I was able to win points on the third day of camp and wear the Red Jersey the next day during training, and since camp has started we have had five different winners in six days, proving that it helps to keep our efforts high towards reproducing a second A-10 title in two years.