As I lower myself into the ice bath, everything hurts. My knees glow blue and purple with bruises, my feet pulse with blisters, my shoulders ache, and my right hip throbs. Welcome to Guilford basketball two-a-days: A weeklong trial by fire to prepare what is hopefully a championship-caliber team. For most Guilford students, fall break includes a get-away from campus, sleeping in until noon and home-cooked meals. For me, fall break is a little different.

The day starts with stretching at Jack Jenson’s court at 8:45. From there, the coaches run drills until 11:15. After a lunch break at the caf and a quick nap, I head back to the Field House at 4:00 for a two-hour afternoon practice. My day concludes with another meal at the caf, and an early 10:30 bedtime.

In pre-season, I learn the basics of the game – from passing and screening to rebounding and defense. I learn that there’s a right way to do things, and a wrong way. It’s all about mastering the fundamentals. Behind-the-back passes or dribbling the air out of the ball is irrelevant.

The coaches tell the team on the first day of practices that no amount of planning or fancy plays will win games. We have to do the little things right; play defense, rebound, and moving without the ball. We have to have a passion for the details.

On every defensive slide: step, slide, step, slide, until it feels like my leg muscles will explode. On defensive positioning: chop my feet, left hand up until my lungs ache. On every post up: read the defender, fight for position until I am bruised and battered.
To do all these things requires incredible physical conditioning and mental toughness. The fatigue is coming, and when it does, I have to tell myself not to be tired.

After all the defensive slides, and all the box-outs, comes the running. Now is the time to dig deep, and find that bit of energy I never thought I had. My mind may say “no,” but my body had better say “yes.” Dig deep and I might just find something I didn’t think I had.

This may all sound terrible, like some sort of work-out from hell. But I love basketball, I have played this game for as long as I can remember, and I’m not about to stop.

Out of the ice bath. Time to go back to work.