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Members of the Cavaliers’ women’s basketball team have been blogging throughout the summer and fall. In this edition, junior Simone Egwu (Odenton, Md.) checks in with VirginiaSports.com about the start of practice.

It is October, and it’s official. The season is here! We are now practicing full swing, and I forgot how tiring the first few days of practice really can be. Now that we have a whole new coaching staff, we have a lot to learn. You don’t realize how much you actually have to be taught until you start studying! From zone defense to quick hitting plans, we are cramming it all in.

It can be a little rough, trying to start over from scratch. But the coaches are very understanding and willing to work with us. They’re really positive and tell us don’t be afraid of making mistakes.

That isn’t to say that doing just anything is acceptable. The first few weeks have been about overcoming our mental blocks. We have to learn to push ourselves outside our comfort zone and still be excellent. We are cutting down on turnovers and missed layups. There are repercussions for those in games so there are repercussions for them in practice. We have to run a lot of sprints sometimes, but it is making us better.

All of that aside, I am really enjoying practice so far. It feels like the entire team has bought in to the new system. We all realize the effort it takes to learn something new and the struggles that come with learning to understand a new group of coaches. Probably the best thing about this team right now is the chemistry. We are all electrified by the potential for a great season, and that keeps us bringing our best every day. This long period of practice, where there are no games, can drag sometimes. But the fire we’ve got burning is keeping our heads in the right place. I can’t wait to put all of this hard work on the court come November.

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