Athletes get a break from training

For the past month or so, the Banks County Leopards athletes have been busy preparing for the upcoming athletic season.

From football workouts, basketball camps and summer baseball, the athletes were kept busy in the month of June. But BCHS athletes, along with the rest of the state, got a break last week when the Georgia High School Associations "Dead Week" was implemented.

The dead week consists of a time period of one week during the summer that no school teams may conduct conditioning drills, practices or be involved in competitions on or off the school's campus. This includes passing leagues , weight training, running and passing drills and school based summer league play for baseball and softball teams.

This gives the athletes a break and the coach’s time for a relaxing vacation with their families without worry of what other teams may be doing. Most coaches do not want to take time off during this part of the year because the time to prepare is very important to each team.

The break was instituted about five years ago and promotes a time that levels the playing field with no activity across the whole state. Many of the coach’s can take their family vacations without worry of what other schools are doing in preparation for fall sports.

The GHSA Dead week is highly supported by Banks County High School sports according to Athletic Director Jerry King. “

I am very supportive of the dead week for us as coaches and our athletes, many of them play multiple sports and this gives them an absolute week off from all practices,” said King.