The first week of Pleasant Valley Girls Basketball is notorious for being incredibly difficult, so bad it’s called “Hell Week.” But how bad is it? And how does it compare to other sports’ first week of practice?
With girls basketball starting soon in the state of Iowa, PV girls are prepping for their “Hell Week.”
For varsity and JV1 athletes, the first week often consists of eight practices in five days, with a clinic at Cedar Rapids Kennedy on Saturday. This totals to more than 18 hours of basketball in one week.
The physical and mental strain of this schedule is vigorous. It is common for some girls to quit before the first week of practice finishes.
Addy Maurer, a starter on the team, agrees that girls basketball has one of the hardest first weeks in high school athletics. “You’re pushed past your limit and sometimes you want to give up but you have to stay strong and remember what you’re doing it for,” said Maurer.
Tuesday through Thursday, PV girls can be seen conditioning outside on the football field at 5:45 A.M. The weather for “Hell Week” this year looks to be better than the past, with temperatures only reaching the low 40s and high 30s.
On the court, PV girls basketball players experience an environment different from any other. The girls are mentally and physically exhausted from constant running, drills and scrimmaging. But even though they are tired, they support each other the entire way.
“Everyone on the team does a good job at supporting each other. We are all sore, tired and frustrated but it’s what we do in spite of that is what really matters,” said Maurer.
A big part of an individual’s success depends on the effort they give in the first week of practice. “The first week lays the foundation for the future; if you don’t push yourself in the first week then you won’t be ready for what’s ahead,” added Maurer.
But how does this compare to other difficult sports such as football and boys wrestling?
Nathan Musal, a varsity football player and wrestler, believes wrestling practices are generally more vigorous than football practices. “Conditioning is a regular part of practice, unlike in football where we quit conditioning after the year starts,” said Musal. “‘Live wrestling’, wrestling at full intensity for periods that are often longer than a six minute match, is also harder than anything we do at football practice.”
In the first week of summer, football players focus a lot on technique, footwork and conditioning. It’s not until the following weeks where they practice in helmets and pads. When wrestling season comes around, they experience a lot more conditioning and technique work.
Each of these sports are physically and mentally exhausting. But with the recent, dominant performances from the Girls Basketball team, “Hell Week” seems to pay off.
