APPLETON, Wis. — Wisconsin has nearly 800,000 students enrolled in public schools and most will start school after Labor Day.

Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association estimated 85,000 to 90,000 high school students in Wisconsin participate in interscholastic athletics each year. 

Many student-athletes across the state are already working hard ahead of their first class. The back-to-school bell has not officially rung at Appleton East High School, but that hasn’t stopped students from getting an early leg up on the school year.

What You Need To Know

  • Wisconsin has nearly 800,000 students enrolled in public school

  • Coach Gayle Beuthien said just like academics, early conditioning in sports is key to a successful season

  • WIAA estimated 85,000 to 90,000 high school students in Wisconsin participate in interscholastic athletics each year

Freshman Alaina Haase is a varsity swimmer at Appleton East High School. The swim season starts in a few weeks so Haase is spending her last few weeks of summer perfecting her backstroke.

"It's really hard to get back in the season if you haven't been doing anything. So it's really just a good, like, catch up to get in," Haase said. 

Haase’s been swimming for two years.  She said she hopes this summer preparation teaches her to become a confident swimmer and gets her acclimated with her new school before classes start.

"I’m happy to help out the team, and it really pushes me to try my best," Haase said.

Gayle Beuthien has coached swimming at Appleton East for five years. Beuthien said just like academics, early conditioning in sports is key to a successful season.

"This is an endurance sport, so we need to make sure that everyone is in shape. We don't want any injuries; with swimming, we have a lot that we do — our arm strokes. We work our shoulders so we don't want any shoulder injuries," Beuthien.

Beuthien said summer training also allows for critical team bonding. There are roughly 22 swimmers at Appleton East and some are from other schools.

"We are a co-op school, so we have Appleton East, Hortonville and Kaukauna. Before this season we want the girls to get to know each other, as we're coming in from three different schools, so it's important that they are familiar with each other, [and that] they get along," Beuthien said.

Appleton East, like many schools, is busy with a wide variety of extracurricular activities in advance of school starting.

Sophomore Syrah Hagan said summer development motivates her to push herself in volleyball. She said it also readies her for the upcoming academic year.

"It gets me interacting with my friends and people from school again and just getting me ready for the school environment," Hagan said.