The unique pre-season tales from the WSL 2
Pre-season is a time for building up fitness and embedding new players but in many cases in the Women's Super League 2, it can be an opportunity to have some fun. With the WSL 2 season kicking off on 4 September, clubs have been busy in the summer with team bonding exercises. There have been a number of unique team bonding exercises from clubs, while players have enjoyed dipping their toe into activities outside of football. BBC Sport found out what some of the clubs have been up to... Find interviews and extra content on the BBC Women's Football Weekly feed Speed-dating, The Hunted and sharks Several clubs have been abroad this summer for the start of their pre-season camps, including Nottingham Forest, who were in Canada. While on a day off, the players visited a wildlife centre and posted photos on social media with some of the animals. Manager Tom Mallinson also set up a speed-dating activity for the squad to get to know their new signings. Paired with a team-mate, the task was to say what they appreciated about each other and to learn about their strengths. "It was really wholesome because we had a different partner each time. The questions were like: 'what does your partner bring to the team?'" said Forest captain Georgia Brougham. "It made people feel valued. I think that was a moment where everyone really felt together on the trip. "One of the girls said that she felt like she gained a sister in me. She's Swedish and obviously she's been away from home but she said she feels safe and she can just be herself. It wasn't forced, so it was nice." Meanwhile, Sheffield United spent a day playing 'Hunted' - a real-life version of the Channel 4 reality television series. The aim of the game was for team-mates to work together to avoid being caught by those chasing them. "I'm not really sure what goes on to be honest! We just kind of ran around after each other in the woods," said Sheffield United's Joy Ralph. "We did it somewhere in the peak district. It's very similar to the TV show. It was fun!" Elsewhere, goalkeeper Fran Stenson was trying to get to know Sunderland following her move from Southampton this summer. She was exploring with team-mates along the coast and recalled one encounter with a shark - or so she thought. "We've been to a few places down by the beach. We went there once and there was dolphins. I didn't expect that," said Stenson. "I first thought it was a shark. I was like: 'no, am I seeing it right?' There were loads of photographers and I thought it was a shark because I saw a larger fin. "A guy next to me told me to look out [at the sea] because they were all playing and I realised they were dolphins not sharks. That was one of my first days too." Over at Wolves, they were put through their paces on a trip to the Lake District which some players were worried about... "There were rumours about whether we were going to have to put mud on our faces because our manager is in the RAF," said goalkeeper Emily Orman. "Everyone was worried it was going to be quite a military trip in the Lake District! We were abseiling down a waterfall, there was a bit of fitness involved and campfires - more team bonding stuff. "But some people were concerned about their skin care routine." Documentaries and video games Aside from the team bonding activities, pre-season has been a time for some players to pursue other hobbies outside of football. Goalkeeper Orman, who joined Wolves on loan from London City Lionesses this summer, has been hooked on video games. "My boyfriend's kind of indoctrinated me into playing video games because it was his smart way of him getting away with it," said Orman. "He got me a new computer and was like: 'oh look at this'. He's plagued me with that addiction." Orman has also been developing her passion for documentary making, which grew while she recovered from a wrist injury last season. During her time on the sidelines she did some stints as a co-commentator and started to explore roles within the media, creating a new YouTube channel. "I'm really passionate about trying to do some documentaries in the future," said Orman. "At the moment I'm just trying to get used to being in front of a camera, filming and editing with just general vlogs. In the future, I'd love to explore women in sport. "I love Louis Theroux and Stacey Dooley. I would love to learn more. I think that's why I enjoyed the commentary. I really enjoy context. "Football is another way you can work with so many different people from different countries and in the same team. I enjoy that."
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