The whir of the treadmills fills the fitness center as Coach Faille shouts instructions. Sweat runs down the girls’ faces while they go through another round of interval sprints. Every Tuesday after school, Coach Faille runs the MS Girls Football Training ASA to build stamina and ball control outside of the short football season.

Inside the fitness center, the girls work on conditioning. “We’ve been doing a lot of fitness. We do intervals on the treadmills and the rowers,” Faille said. “We’ve been doing a lot of core work too, with the yoga balls and the mats.”

The girls use the treadmills for interval sprints, they mimic football’s rhythm of quick sprints followed by slow jogs or walks, which helps the girls increase their stamina. “It’s an interval sport. So, you’re sprinting, and you’re kind of walking a bit if the ball is not close to you, or jogging. So, it’s short bursts of energy, and I’ve trained that here.” Coach Faille said. 

Once conditioning wraps up inside, the training shifts outdoors. On the tennis courts, the girls practice football tennis to work on juggling and ball. control Sometimes, they play mini-football to develop quick decision-making, endurance, and shooting accuracy.  The tiny goals and small court create pressure similar to game situations.

All that energy and focus pay off in the end. Seventh grader Leah Park joined ASA training because she wanted to keep up with the official team. “My running skills [and] my overall strength have been better, and my soccer skills have improved,” Park said.

Each Tuesday, six participants take on drills and conditioning with Coach Faille. Their increased practice time supports the other girls on the larger teams and contributes to stronger tournament performances. The program helped the girls place second at the recent KISAC tournament.

Eighth grader Gia Kim shares a similar experience. “I joined this ASA to enhance my soccer skills.” Kim said, “At first, I didn’t know how to lift the ball, but now I know. I [also] got more fit by running.” 

Kim also explained how the team has improved from last year. “I think our team became better in skill because we won (North London Collegiate School) NLCS, [who] were unbeatable.”

From the sideline, Coach Faille elaborated on the improvement of the girls’ fitness this season. “We just played (Korean International Schools Activities Conference) KISAC, and I think the group here [had] the best fitness in the team,” he said.

As the season continues,  Coach Faille hopes the girls continue learning. “I would just like to see that the girls enjoy football, that they learn, that they take something home, and actually understand the game more. And the most important part is that they take some good memories from these seasons, like being part of a team, being part of a nice group.”

Even though the ASA operates in only one season, Coach Faille hopes that it will have a lasting impact on the Middle School Girls Football team, and give them an opportunity to improve and enjoy football.