Recovery Week

On the fourth week of each preseason, we plan a recovery week where we change the focus of our conditioning and weight training. Instead of timed sprints, we play various games which I learned throughout my athletic career. The Golden Eagles receive a history lesson by playing Yugoslavian and Russian tag, Czechoslovakian and Hungarian dodge ball, and Spanish gator ball. At least I don't make them speak the languages as they learn the games!

The games require the players to sprint, pass, think quickly and play together. In every game there is a penalty for "cherry picking" which means a player is spectating rather than actively hustling. There is also a reward for winning which is resting while the losers run sprints. I can ascertain from these games which players are the ones we want in the game during pressure situations. The ones who pick up the strategy quickly and who understand how to win no matter what the game is are the ones who will show the same intelligence on the basketball court.

I also get to laugh on the sidelines as I watch them dodge, jump, throw, and try to comprehend a new set of rules. Sometimes I make up rules as the games progress attempting to bait them to get angry or have a negative reaction. If they do react poorly, the team runs a sprint. The object is to teach them to have a neutral reaction to a bad call. We want them to understand they cannot control the officials; they can only control their reaction to a call. By controlling their reaction, they are in effect creating a positive situation. If a bad call were made during a tough game and a player became angry at that call, she is no longer prepared for the next play. A poor reaction also gives an advantage to opponents because they feel the momentum shift to their favor. We want to get through the call and focus on the task at hand.

We also lift lighter during recovery week so we decrease sets and repeititons in the weight room. The purpose of this is to allow our players a full week where their bodies are still active yet recovering from three weeks of intense workouts. This allows the muscles and the brain enough rest so they are prepared for the increases in our workouts for the final two weeks of conditioning.

Every player who has survived a preseason always looks forward to recovery week. They talk about it as if it were a gift from heaven. It is the one week of preseason where having fun and laughing is synonomous with conditioning. Yet, next week we must go back to the tougher stuff making players mentally ready for the long journey which awaits them.