CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — For athletes at Ray High School, the early morning summer wake up calls have returned.
Summer strength and conditioning programs are finally getting back to normal after being a victim of COVID-19 last summer.
"It's really good to be back," said incoming senior Collin Flinchbaugh. "We have been gone for a little since people haven't been back in school."
Athletes like Flinchbaugh and Journee Williams are back on the field with their friends.
"It's just a rush of adrenaline for sure," said Williams. "The players, the coaches, and all the staff have made this a real comfortable environment."
"They are able to see their friends and hang out with people they haven't seen in a long time," said Ray athletic coordinator and head football coach Craig Charlton.
Strength and conditioning programs are not normally considered fun. The early wake-ups followed by grueling workouts aren't something to write home about.
However, the return to a normal set of workouts has made this summer a little more enjoyable.
"Strength and conditioning is kind of terrible at times but I mean everyone loves being back," added Flinchbaugh.
This isn't just a chance for the athletes to get ready for the upcoming seasons. For coaches, this is an opportunity to meet new athletes and even reunite with old ones, some they haven't seen since 2019.
"I miss seeing our kids constantly and right now are able to see them and build those relationships," added Charlton.
They continue to build relationships in hopes of building towards successful seasons.
"We've got to get these kids ready to play football, basketball and volleyball," Charlton said.
