By Joe Hiti
As warm ups began the lyrics “I was made for this” echoed through the gym. The squeaks of rubber on hardwood. The smell of wood bleacher seats. Practice however was quiet.
There was no talking between players. They were simply going through the motions.
After warmups they moved on to running through plays. Pass. Screen. Cut. Nothing but the sound of the ball hitting hands and the squeaks of shoes could be heard.
The only voice in the gym was coach Novak.
“Circle up!” he yelled, “this isn’t us. We are vocal and we need to be vocal. Let’s start talking.”
As if someone hit a switch the practice was suddenly filled with players voices.
“I’m open.”
“Screen. Screen.”
“Cut.”
The players took this new found energy into a five on five drill to run through some plays before their matchup. The drill had the players in gold jerseys playing the starting five.
Although they are one team five players where their reversible practice jerseys with the gold side out instead of the blue
The players in gold are always on the floor during practice.
“Gold team defense” coach would yell, and the players would pick a player in blue to guard.
“Gold offense” and the players would pick a place on the court in the called offense.
Today they were ready. Especially on defense. After three stops on defense, without a shot being taken, by the gold group coach Novak found himself again telling his team to talk.
“Circle up talk about what you are doing wrong”
The starters, clenching their fists and waving the arms, circled up and debated on what they needed to do.
Coach blew his whistle and the play was started again. However, the cuts this time were quicker, passes harder.
Senior guard Jack Jenson was making his first cut and turning off a screen to go to the corner. He catches and barely lets the ball touch his hands before it’s in the net.
Swish.
Coach blows his whistle again and the play starts again. Jenson again finds himself in familiar territory with the ball in the left corner but this time he pump fakes and takes one dribble before putting up a jump shot two feet inside the arc.
Swish.
Coach blows his whistle and the play starts again but this time they don’t need direction from the coach because they have it from each other and….
Swish.
