Florida Soccer Laces Up Boxing Gloves in Practice

Early Wednesday morning, Florida soccer strapped on gloves along with its cleats and prepared to practice its swings.

Coming off a rollercoaster month, Florida soccer needed a change of pace. So its coaching staff decided to try something different in practice, bringing something back from the offseason: boxing.

The team has started kicking off its sessions with a series of drills. On Wednesday, the players paired up to practice sparring, with redshirt sophomore forward Addy Hess stepping up first in a friendly face-off with associate head coach Jonathan Garber. Then they focused on different types of punches, practicing a series of combinations on their own.

After that, the focus shifted to the usual training exercises. But for coach Nick Zimmerman, the addition to the last few practices has been fun to watch. He has seen each player grow and become more intentional with the drills, something that may translate to the pitch on game day.

“It’s really just teaching them about how powerful they actually are, and it’s been really cool to see the transformation of all of them,” Zimmerman said.

When the Gators first started the drills in the spring, drawing from Garber’s interest in combat training, the players were reserved and self-conscious about it. Now, Zimmerman said, the team is more comfortable and decisive during the time set aside in each practice.

Among those who have stood out in the drill since the spring are senior forward Lena Bailey and redshirt junior goalkeeper Paloma Peña. Bailey has been key in the Gators’ lineup this season, most recently scoring the game-winning late goal in an upset of then-No. 5 Alabama.

“To see where they were then to where they are now: little fighters, it’s great to see,” Zimmerman said.

It’s an interesting change to the routine as the season winds down. The regular-season road schedule ended on a sour note with Florida’s loss at Arkansas on Sunday.

The Gators have two chances to secure an SEC Tournament spot: Thursday against No. 25 Auburn, then Nov. 1 against Georgia. Every point will be crucial as Florida, which sits 11th in the SEC, tries to stay in the 12-team tournament field.

The Auburn match carries extra weight as Zimmerman faces Tigers coach James Armstrong, the former Mississippi State coach who first hired him there in 2019. It will be the second time they have met, and the first since Zimmerman became Florida’s head coach.

Zimmerman’s priority in the final stretch is not necessarily the tournament. Instead, he is focused on the growth the team has shown in his first season at the helm.

“Progress is winning,” he said. “There’s a lot of things to be proud of this fall so far.”

Category: Gator Sports, Gators Soccer