The average soccer player covers roughly 7 miles per game, according to SportVU.
Multiply that by 20 games, and it’s 140 miles a season. There is, however, no statistic or equation to capture the feeling of practicing and playing in the sizzling, muggy Louisiana heat.
The LSU soccer team is all too familiar with this statistic and the bayou weather. Sophomore forward Jorian Baucom, who hails from Scottsdale, Arizona, is accustomed to playing in triple digit temperatures but says the weather in Louisiana is on another level.
“It’s a whole different type of heat,” Baucom said. “Arizona has dry heat, and down here in Baton Rouge it’s humid.”
A player’s conditioning is one of the most important parts of their game. LSU coach Brian Lee said when a player is fatigued, the first thing to deteriorate is the mind. Fatigue can lead to mental lapses, causing players to give up late-game goals, for example.
“When you’re fatigued, your brain is the first thing that goes,” Lee said. “We found that we probably lost a few late game leads that aren’t going to happen with a better fitness level. We had trouble running late in the game.”
LSU has shown great stamina through the first four games of the season, Lee said. He said it’s the result of the hard work his team put in during the offseason.
The Tigers are undefeated this season and are already showing signs of becoming a second half team.
LSU starts the second half of its games with a little more energy than it does in the first, Lee said. Due to their high-intensity practices, the Tigers are able to pick up the pace of the game as the match is winding down.
One player who must always be at her peak physically is senior midfielder Natalia Gomez-Junco.
Midfielders generally cover the most ground on the field and are asked to help out on both the offensive and defensive end.
“I’m the type of player that likes to run,” Junco said. “It’s hard, and it’s not very pleasant sometimes, but I try to stay in the best shape. I like how Brian [Lee] has the confidence in me to play 90 minutes.”
It’s a difficult task to play a full 90-minute game Friday night, then another game 41 hours later, but the coaching staff believes there are several Tigers who can pull off the feat, including Junco.
“We have a bunch of kids that can play 90 minutes on Friday then turn around and play 90 minutes on Sunday,” Lee said.
Visiting teams often have trouble acclimating to the uncomfortable conditions at LSU’s home stadium, Lee said. This was the case when the University of Minnesota faced LSU in the second game of the Battle of the Bayou Tournament on Sunday. Minnesota’s energy level dropped off tremendously after the half and led to the team conceding a late-game goal.
As they head into Southeastern Conference play, the Tigers hope their legs hold up in one of the more physical conferences in the country.
LSU will look to use the uncomfortable conditions at home to its advantage as it did against Minnesota.
“[The humidity] really gets teams, and I think that’s what gives us the upper hand on other teams because we constantly play in this humidity,” Baucom said. “Most states don’t have this type of weather, so we definitely use it to our advantage.”