Fast break before yawn

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

University of Hawai'i center Christen Roper is among the Wahine working on their second season of early-morning practices under. Goo started the early practices last year primarily for the elementary education majors who had to take afternoon classes. Since then the routine has grown on the Rainbow Wahine. Advertiser library photo • Nov. 14, 2001

For the Rainbow Wahine basketball team, every morning is still and pitch black. Practice begins at 6:30 a.m. except for Tuesday and Thursday, when it starts at 6 a.m. On travel days, they often start at 5 a.m. and go straight to the airport.

It is not every student's idea of heaven on basketball earth. "They told me about it when they recruited me," confirms freshman Amy Sanders. "I was not that pleased."

But before coach Vince Goo and his staff of whistle-wearing assistants start practice at the stroke of another ungodly hour, every Rainbow is there, shooting in a daze.

"The hardest thing is jumping rope at 6 a.m. That will wake you up," senior Michelle Gabriel says. "We're slashing our arms."

The 'Bows stretch and jog. Senior Natasja Allen mouths "wax on, wax off" as she side-slides downcourt, tracing circles with her hands. By 6:45 a.m., everyone is semi-alert. It wasn't always that way.

Who's complaining?

When Goo started the early practices last season, primarily because he had five elementary education majors who had to take afternoon classes, then-senior Janka Gabrielova was adamantly opposed.

"Janka was the biggest huhu about it," Gabriel recalls. "She's a mess in the morning. But she got used to it."

And never said a word to the coach: "I sensed she had a problem with it," Goo says with a grin. "I asked her and she said no."

From 6:45 a.m. on, the sound of sneakers screeching is constant for the next two hours. Posts practice rebounding and outlet passes while wings and guards jump rope. Sophomore Milia Macfarlane tries to remember rope-jumping games from younger days. The players switch.

Then there are drills, plays to run through and position work. The final segment is an intense half-court scrimmage. On this day, it does not go well. "Control" and "execute" keep coming out of Goo's mouth. The first game, against UCLA, is a month away.

Evenings are free

Finally, at 8:45 a.m., the practice closes with "suicides" — a series of timed full-court sprints. They are altered daily only by time and distance. After the pain is "walked off," the Rainbow Wahine stretch again and head for the showers.

It is 9 a.m. and the day is now theirs. Except for Monday, Wednesday and Friday, when their afternoons are interrupted by an hour of weight training. And most of the players have moved their mandatory study hall up to the afternoon since Goo began the early practices, freeing their evenings.

But "freedom" is not a topic his players discuss much during the season. Many try to nap during the day so they can have some kind of social life at night. But for the most part, they go out only on nights before off days.

"We were just talking about how we go to bed so early now no one ever sees us," Sanders says. "We go home and we're so tired we just go to sleep."

Even at 18, your body can take only so much. But every player needs to discover that for herself.

"Before you could go out late, then take a nap before practice," Gabriel says. "Now, you have to take the responsibility and make the choice of whether or not you want to suffer in the morning."

"They can go out as late as they want," insists Goo. "I don't think they do."

Early to bed, early to rise

Still, the pre-sunrise routine has grown on the Rainbows. Gabriel said she had to force herself to like it last year. This year, after early-morning workouts all summer, she has become somewhat numb to the 5:30 a.m. alarm.

"Once you're done with it you have the rest of the day to do what you want to do," Gabriel says. "And it makes you go to bed early."

Sanders now believes starting the day with practice actually helps her concentrate because her mind isn't overwhelmed with post-class thoughts. Goo thinks his team is "physically fresher" in the morning — after it stretches and jumps rope.

He never considered going back to afternoon practice this season. He kept finding advantages to the new schedule last season, from an easier adjustment to afternoon WAC road games and a rising team grade point average.

Besides, he sees more of his wife now. She gets up at 4:30 each morning to exercise and have coffee with her colleagues at Farrington High School. Last week, he set his alarm for 3:10 a.m. because he had to watch a 4 a.m. officiating seminar via satellite. His other option was go to the Mainland to see it in person.

Hopefully, UH is getting more out of sunrise scrimmages than he got from the seminar.

"All I learned," Goo said, "is that the rules are the same as they've been the last seven years."