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Wednesday, September 8, 1999

Sweating under Arrow conditioning
Islanders get first taste of strength, endurance drills under head coach
By Mark Zuckerman
Caller-Times

First came the defensive footwork drills.
   Then 15 minutes of repeatedly falling down on the court taking charges.
   Next was a 45-minute block of non-stop wind sprints that left many of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's men's basketball players searching for the nearest wall to lean against while they gasped for air.
   Oh yeah, then they all got to play basketball for an hour.
   With a full roster of players finally on campus and settled into their classes, the Islanders held the first men's basketball strength and conditioning workout in school history Tuesday. And despite plenty of exhaustion, both physically and mentally, everyone in attendance was happy to be there.
   "It feels good to be back," said head coach Ronnie Arrow, who conducted his first unofficial basketball practice since he was removed at South Alabama in 1994. "I feel young again."
   NCAA regulations prohibit Division I teams from holding full-fledged basketball practices until October 15.
   For the next five weeks, though, coaches may lead their teams in eight hours of strength and conditioning workouts per week, provided no basketball is in sight. Once the coaching staff leaves the premises, Islanders' players conduct scrimmages on their own.
   The 12 men who will make up the first Division I team in Corpus Christi history were plenty tired after an hour-and-a-half of nothing but conditioning without ever picking up a ball. But the Islanders say they know the intense training is a must if they are to have any success in their first year of existence.
   They also realize they may be getting a slight break over established programs with mostly returning players.
   "Like (assistant) coach (Johnny) Brown said, most Division I teams' first day of practices are actually harder than this was one was," said forward Dustin Schultz, one of four freshmen on A&M-Corpus Christi's roster.
   "It's going to be hard, but if you're going to do this everyday and get in shape, it will be worthwhile."
   With a whistle in his mouth and eyes focused sharply on his players, Arrow appeared to be back in his element, loving every minute of his first workout in five years. There was plenty of yelling, some of it positive encouragement, some of it harsh scolding directed at those struggling to keep up the pace.
   "The thing with the first practice is you find out who's exerted themselves over the summer real quick," Arrow said. "You know you're going to have guys who get tired, but as long as they don't quit, that's what important."
   The players, many of whom are just now meeting one another, seemed impressed with what they've seen so far.
   "We've got a lot of talented players," said junior swingman Michael Hicks, one of the Islanders' top signees. "If we just practice hard and get in shape, we'll be ready for the season."
   Most of A&M-Corpus Christi's players never experienced this type of extreme conditioning during their days in high school or junior college.
   And though there were plenty of exasperated faces Tuesday afternoon, junior point guard Toby Thompson said the end result will be worth the effort.
   "This is all new to me," said Thompson, a transfer from Southwest Christian Junior College. "I've never had to push myself like I'm having to push myself now."
   But will it all pay off down the road?
   "Oh definitely, without a doubt."

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