It’s only September, but Chapman’s girls basketball team has already started preseason conditioning.

First-year Girls Varsity Basketball Coach Leslie Landrum said that starting early is very important.

“It’s critical to have a successful start in November,” Landrum said. “Most importantly, the girls will grasp my expectations early on. They know what I expect from them and their teammates on and off the court. I am able to start working on skills that will better the entire program (middle school to high school).”

Junior Stormi Hayes is a varsity basketball player and has been participating in the conditioning.

“The purpose behind conditioning is to get prepared for each quarter of the game,” Hayes said. “If we can’t get up and down the court, then we will get beat by the opposing team.”

Senior Lauren Holden agrees that this conditioning is key for preparation.

“The purpose behind pre-season conditioning is to allow players to get in shape and get a feel for the ball,” Holden said. “It is hard not playing basketball all year then picking up the ball in November.”

Landrum said she expects her girls to work.

“They know that they are all expected to do work at all times,” she said. “If we are running, shooting or stretching they are to work. This is the time where I expect them to push themselves and others beyond the point of exhaustion. This is a character-building time more than anything.”

Conditioning consists of working with the ball as well as running.

“(Conditioning includes) running: sprints, stadiums, laps on the track and scrimmages,” Landrum said.

“A day of conditioning starts off with a team stretch and then we progress to hard snakes in the gym,” Holden said. “A hard snake is when you run up and down all the stairs in the gym. Then we move into section practice. This is where we break up into our positions and work on the skills that will make us better at our position. Then we run as a team and that is the end of our practice.”

As players, Hayes and Holden have expectations for themselves and their teammates.

“My expectations for my teammates and I in conditioning is to finish and not quit,” Hayes said.

“My expectations for myself this year are to become a leader and lead this team to a friendship and wins,” Holden said. “As a team, I expect us to come together and play together. Win or lose we will stay united and support each other.”

Landrum said conditioning will help achieve

“Conditioning is key,” Landrum said. “If we are not conditioned, we can’t effectively play the way I want them to play. Our defense and offense will suffer due to the style of play that I desire them to play at. We are pushing everyday to turn this program around back to excellence. I am glad that my girls understand in order to be great, they will have to work. This work starts now with conditioning at preseason workouts.”