Members of the Lawrence High volleyball squad run cross-overs during practice. Monday was the first day of practices for fall high school sports across the state.

Members of the Lawrence High football team take a breather in the hot afternoon sun during Monday's practice.

Fifteen minutes before the start of their second practice of three on the day, Lawrence High’s football players began filing out to the field to warm up.

“Whew, a little hot today, guys,” one player said as his metal spikes clanked against pavement.

“A little,” retorted another player sarcastically as he sipped a water bottle. “Just a little.”

Yes, the dog days of August were in full swing Monday at LHS. It was the first day of high school practices in the state of Kansas, although the football team won’t put on pads and start the heavy hitting until Thursday. Instead, the first few days serve as a way to introduce underclassmen to the pace of practice and offer upperclassmen a chance to see how well they work together.

“Right now, I love the work ethic,” LHS coach Dirk Wedd said. “The upperclassmen came with a purpose and have really set a tone for the younger kids. When one of the upperclassmen speaks, they all listen.”

Players broke into six groups and did drills based on position before simulating game action. But Saturday will be the biggest indicator of first-week progress, as the team will hold its first intrasquad game.

Also on Monday, 22 girls came out for the first day of tennis practice at LHS, which began at 8 a.m. and lasted three hours. The team worked on basic shot techniques, including forehands, backhands, volleys and serves. Second-year coach Steve Hudson said he was impressed with his team’s overall speed but stressed the need to improve footwork and consistency.

The boys and girls cross country teams opened practice with a four-mile run around Lawrence. There were 25 boys and 25 girls that took part in what coach Brian Anderson deemed “the best first day we’ve had in a long time.”

The biggest issue was the heat, as runners used to training in 80-degree weather saw temperatures soar into triple digits.

The girls’ golf team enjoyed a reprieve from the heat, going over expectations in the air-conditioned snack bar at Alvamar Country Club. As the week progresses, head coach Mike Lewis said he expects the 12 girls out for the team to spend the majority of their time hitting the driving range and working on putting, with the rest of practice spent playing a few holes.

The gymnastics team – winner of the past three state championships – began its pursuit of a fourth consecutive title with basic floor tumbling and work on the balance beam. There were eight girls at the first practice from LHS, which practices with their counterparts from Free State High.

Evaluating individual talent was the main purpose on the first day of three volleyball tryouts. Girls worked on passing and serving and also performed agility tests. The team will begin working on game situations as tryouts continue.

Teams will be chosen after Wednesday’s practice and players will pick captains on Thursday.

The boys’ soccer team sent 54 players to practice for the first of a three-day tryout. The team worked on shooting drills that focused on speed and placement, along with agility drills with and without the ball. Head coach Christian Sayer said he planned to trim his varsity list to 18 or 20 players by the end of Wednesday’s practice.