This past Sunday was the women's basketball team's first day of practice. Looking back at the beginning of the year, I can't believe it is already here. It seems like just yesterday we were fondly lacing up our new shoes and telling nostalgic stories of last year's quaint locker room shenanigans. How time flies when you are having fun. I had several feelings as practice began. I was nervous - this was our first practice with our new coaching staff and I wanted to impress. I was excited - who knows what wondrous new changes the practice would bring? And I will admit, I was a little bit anxious. Because the start of practice, the official harbinger of the upcoming season, meant the end of life as I now know it.
Preseason, for me, is a time of carefree frolicking and schedule overloading. During the first month and week or so of preseason workouts, we have relatively clear weekends and evenings. Workouts are not as draining as full-blown practice, so there are even times when I dare to venture out in the evenings with friends for dinner, channel surfing or other equally adrenaline-pumping activities. Overwhelmed with the opportunities, I will pace the lanes of the activities fair putting my name on many listservs I will later regret. This year, my most irrational pick was probably the Photography Club. I know nothing about photos beyond using them as a means of entertainment on Facebook during a particularly boring lecture - which of course, I never do. I'm sure many of you have no idea what it means to do such a thing either. Nevertheless, I sought enlightenment in Photo Club.
Practice means I will no longer be attending these club meetings I so ambitiously signed myself up for. I will cease filling my planner with the various extracurriculars of yore. Surpassing its use as a fun fact during ice breakers, being a member of the varsity women's basketball team is now a reality. My extracurriculars from this point on including eating, sleeping and - all right, if you insist - homework.
Of course, the beginning of basketball season is my favorite time of year as well. We finally get the chance to show off the skills we developed during countless hours in the summer and the fall. About a month after practice starts, we play our first game - Nov. 4 against Alaska Anchorage 7 p.m., not that I'm shamelessly promoting it or anything. The time spent in the gym means my arms will be looking muscular and my legs will be prepared to tackle any stairs. Only on days without practice, though - let's be serious here.\nBut the season means it is time to buckle down. The season is time micro-management at its finest. The routine is satisfying - class, practice, dinner, study hall, bed - but I cannot wait for our first game. It can get monotonous. You could not only say I'm anxious for Nov. 4, but that I'm definitely excited. Nervous, however, not so much. I know this is going to be a great year for us. Just probably not a great year for my improvement as a photographer.
Simone's column runs biweekly Tuesdays. She can be reached at s.egwu@cavalierdaily.com.
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