POULSBO — Beyond training, skills camps and pickup game scrimmages, the off-season is somewhat a time of rest and absolutely a time to heal for high school programs. The latter was time that North Kitsap’s Lady Viking soccer squad was in desperate need of at the end of the 2005 season.

Finishing one spot out of the playoffs, North’s tattered squad played few games at full strength. In fact, the last game of the season was the first game of the season in which all six of the team’s 2005 seniors were healthy.

In 2006, with a solid incoming senior core expected, the Vikings are keeping their fly swatter on guard for the injury bug.

“The young ladies we had playing last year are a year older, and I hope to build on that because they are a year more experienced,” head coach Pat Stickney said. “The mystery is our new schedule, it’s so difficult.”

With a Washington Interscholastic Athletics Association league shakeup taking effect in 2006, North will take a step — along with CK — from the Narrows Bridge Division into the Narrows Bay which is home to Bellarmine, Stadium, Mount Tahoma and Olympia.

“Some of those teams are known for great programs and being able to stay mentally focused, keeping the ball on the ground and keeping it organized will be key for us,” said junior Stephanie Skelly who was selected to the All-Kitsap News Group first team in 2005, despite a mid-season knee injury. “I think we can do it.”

Competition breeds character, but regardless of what teams North will match up with this year, the Vikings are well aware that they have no control over anyone but themselves. Therefore, 2006 will likely be a year for self discovery as well as self reliance.

“Nothing changes for us, we are who we are, we can’t invent players, we’ll take the best that we have come out,” Stickney said. “Hopefully, we can meld them into a good team, a team that knows how to move the ball … that’s my task in three weeks.”

But before backing off due to WIAA sanctions, Stickney has spent limited time with the team in both training and scrimmage formats. During the middle weeks of July, Stickney held optional training sessions to allow players a chance to get on the field in a slightly competitive format before tryouts begin Aug. 21.

Prior to that, players have individually been honing their skills and solidifying their stamina for the upcoming year with everything from weight training to area select programs to out of town camps.

“We need to get out there and play hard and put ourselves in high pressure situations,” Skelly noted of summer training. “Even just getting to know the (team) and how everyone will react to situations will help. If you are comfortable with your teammates, you can rely on each other.”