Views: DeKalb girls making the most of summer

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For every high school student, the highly anticipated summer months are commonly filled with relaxation and spontaneity.

However, members of the DeKalb girls basketball team aren’t every high school student. Instead of having an empty agenda, the Barbs pack their summer with overly busy days in preparation for the 2009-10 season.

“We use the summer to really get better as individuals,” DeKalb coach Debbie Whitman said. “We break things down, setup drills, and I talk to the players on things that they can work on to improve individually.”

Whitman’s team utilizes every moment of the summer in a structured schedule that makes sleeping in and being lazy a long lost friend.

The DHS basketball girls begin their Monday and Wednesday mornings with Midwest Orthopedics’ speed and agility camp from 8-9 a.m. The girls go straight from conditioning to the weight room until 10 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  

Camp days – two hour practices consisting of drills associated with offensive and defensive positions – are thrown in at various times during the week. The camp days are courtesy of the 25 allotted contact days that IHSA coaches are given.

The girls cap Wednesday nights with summer league games, hosted by the varsity team.

The Barbs’ summer league consists of single games and tournaments, of which they have already played 22 games. Whitman estimates her team will play nearly 40 games by mid-July.

“It’s a lot of basketball in June and July,” Whitman said, “We basically will have had a separate season before the real season begins in November.”

The summer, thus far, has shown the DeKalb coaches that progress is being made. According to Whitman, the returning varsity girls have grown into more mature players, and the youngsters are getting used to the speed of the game through the summer league.

The physical commitment that the girls have for the team is undeniable, but their hard work can also be translated into a team that has a stronger bond.

“Spending the summer preparing for basketball season definitely helps with team bonding,” senior Kay Smith said, “When we spend the night at places for tournaments we have a good time. During the summer we will make bracelets together, go swimming, go out to eat, and watch movies. It’s a lot of fun.”

Sure, the members of the DeKalb girls basketball team aren’t your average high school students enjoying the summer, but not every high school student has the opportunity to play for a team that is so passionate about the game and the relationships surrounding it.

• Ashley Schrader can be reached at sports@daily-chronicle.com