By Cheyenne Haupler
Timber sports demand teamwork and resilience, and those qualities come together in their captain, Blake Polaski.
Blake Polaski–Woodland Timber Team Captain–joined the first season during his Freshman year.
“I joined because it was the only sport I could do with my schedule and it seemed more interesting than any other sport,” said Polaski. “I’m glad I joined because it’s mostly positive. I talk to people I wouldn’t have spoken to normally.”
Establishing goals to gain the most out of your high school sports career is very important. “My goals for this season are to place on the podium more myself, and for everyone on the team to place at least once on the podium,” said Polaski.
The Woodland Timber Team has been known for “no-conditioning” training, however that is going to be changing. “We’re in the process of re-implementing conditioning, and it was my idea,” Polaski continues. “I wanted to do this because we only have practice once a week and we’re already a small team, so if we’re not doing extra practice we can fall behind.”
Polaski is a team player, one that hopes to encourage others to join the team, or inspire those on the team to work to the best of their ability. “The advice I would give to younger players on the team is to try more than just at practices,” Polaski added.
In a sport rooted in strength and precision, Polaski carries both the weight of the axe, and spirit of the team, with every swing carving out more than wins. It’s not just about chopping wood, but about chopping it together.
“I would definitely recommend people join because it’s really fun, and not demanding as long as you’re trying,” Polaski continues. “It feels less like competing, and more like a fun after-school activity.”
