First day of a new season

After more than 30 years, the excitement of starting the high school sports season hasn't wavered for Lafayette Jeff volleyball coach Gail Gripe.

"Scott Graves, our varsity assistant, asked if I slept at all (Sunday) night," Gripe said Monday following the Bronchos' first workout. "I was up and down, knowing that (Monday) was the first day.

"After 30 something years, I still do get excited about starting the season. It's that new beginning, the new kids and seeing how they work out."

For Broncho setter Sydney Walls, the first practice brought plenty of anxiety.

"I'm really nervous. Extremely nervous," the junior said. "This is tryouts. It's nerve-wracking to know what team you're going to make."

Although the Indiana High School Athletic Association has allowed coaches more freedom to work with players in the summer, the first official day of practice is still special.

"The first day of high school practice is a lot of fun," West Lafayette goalkeeper Jessica Gwin said. "The high school atmosphere is a lot different than the club atmosphere; there's a lot of pride in school spirit."

Gwin and her Red Devil teammates are hopeful that spirit equals another deep run in the state tournament. WL lost to Fort Wayne Dwenger in last year's semistate championship but believes it can go one step further this season.

That experience should make the preseason practices go smoothly.

"We pretty much have a good feel for where a lot of the players are going to be," WL second-year coach James Hunter said. "It makes it a lot easier knowing what we have to do going into these two-a-days.

"We don't have to spend as much time on conditioning. They've been working out and had some modified two-a-days throughout the summer."

Some players are getting used to new coaches, including Central Catholic's football program.

Kevin O'Shea, who begins his first season with the Knights after one year at Attica, is happy the IHSAA altered its summer rules.

"It's given us an opportunity to work ahead and come outside and work with our kids and implement the system," O'Shea said. "If this would've been 10 years ago, this first day would've been heck. We would have started from scratch."

CC quarterback Chris Mills said O'Shea's offense is similar to last year's system run by now-Lafayette Jeff coach Andy Kennedy.

"It's basically the same offense as last year but with some different formations," Mills said. "The summer practices helped a lot because we got our timing down with receivers."

It's at least two weeks until football, boys and girls soccer, volleyball, cross country and boys tennis teams start competition. Gripe is one coach who will be closely watching her team's progress.

"Now, everything you have done counts," she said. "All the work that you put in or haven't. All the time you have pushed yourself or haven't. What you do on the court from now on and how you compete in everything counts."