Soon tiles commemorating conference championships won by the Coupeville High School girls basketball team the past two years will be mounted on the walls of the CHS gymnasium.

The Wolves didn’t win those crowns by showing up Nov. 15 to prepare for the winter season. Coupeville, under the direction of coach David King, spends much of the off-season putting in the sweat it takes to develop a winning program.

While the Wolves girls basketball team isn’t the only Coupeville or Oak Harbor club logging extra time honing its skills during the off-season, it is one of the most active.

June 12, the Coupeville girls played a few games in La Conner before heading to team camp at Ocean Shores. Nineteen players, up from 11 last summer, made the trip and were split into two teams. Included in the group were three seniors, five juniors, six sophomores and five freshmen.

The Wolves played 15 games spread over four days.

“This group was outstanding,” King said. “The difference in play from the first games for both teams on Monday to their games on Thursday is something every coach hopes for. We couldn’t have asked for anything more. The growth in that short time frame by individual players is going to go a long way once our high school season starts.”

The trip included more than playing games.

“We get a lot of basketball in, but we really strive to bond as a team and do some fun things while there,” King said. “Every year we make it down to the beach and have a competition with building sand sculptures.”

Shortly after returning, five players attended an individual camp at Western Washington University. At least six are going to a shooting camp in North Seattle Aug. 10, King said.

Generally, King also enters a team in the Skagit fall league.

Two of the Coupeville basketball players, Lauren Rose and Sarah Wright, along with Katrina McGranahan, played summer softball for the Northwest Storm U16 select team based out of Mount Vernon.

All three also play volleyball.

Coupeville’s volleyball team and its new head coach Cory Whitmore held open gyms and practices to prepare for its team camp at Western Washington University.

The Oak Harbor High School volleyball team wrapped up its twice-a-week summer practices this week. The Wildcats attended a tournament in La Conner, hosted an individual skills camp in June and attended team camp at WWU in early July. Some of the OHHS players competed in club volleyball, which ran through June.

“My favorite part of our summer training is when we attend camps,” coach Kerri Molitor said. “It gives the girls a chance to work together without distractions.  We really get a chance to learn about ourselves, and it makes me excited for the upcoming season.”

It’s been a good summer for the Wildcat volleyball players, Molitor said, adding, “They are hard-working, dedicated individuals and have made efforts to balance multiple sports, summer jobs, driver’s ed, family vacations.”

The Coupeville football team held a spring camp and practiced for three days in mid-July but did not attend a team camp this summer because not enough players committed. The Wolves did, however, take on Lakeside in a 7-on-7 competition July 22.

The Oak Harbor High School football team holds a local camp in spring and then heads to Wenatchee each July for team camp. More than 50 athletes attended team camp this summer, according to coach Jay Turner.

Oak Harbor also holds strength and conditioning sessions for its athletes from 7-9 a.m. three times a week, with between 50 and 70 attending each day, according to Turner.

For four days each week, Coupeville holds and workout/weight lifting sessions for all athletes twice a day.

The Oak Harbor High School boys basketball team practiced May 30 through July 14.

The summer practices included weight-room work, individual skill sessions, team workouts and competitive drills, as well as team-building exercises, head coach John Weston said.

“I had a super-committed group this summer, probably the best since I have been here,” Weston said.

The varsity and junior varsity teams both competed in four tournaments this summer and attended a team camp at Western Washington University.

The Wildcat boys freshman basketball team took part in the Skagit summer league and one tournament.

In addition, the Wildcats hosted a three-day camp for boys from fourth through the eighth grade.