North Carolina State University Athletics
PEELER: Intense Workouts Help Pack Prepare
8/9/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Aug. 9, 2010
BY TIM PEELER
RALEIGH -
Other than through good recruiting or some kind of medieval stretching device, Harper knew her team would not get much taller this coming season. But she also knew that by hitting the weight room harder than ever, the Wolfpack could be significantly stronger when practice resumed in October.
So ever since the 2009-10 season ended with a first-round loss to UCLA in the NCAA Tournament, the returning players have gathered at 6 a.m., four days a week to work out with strength and conditioning coach Charles Stephenson.
There are only a few minor differences in the actual lifts the players do, but there is a huge difference in the intensity of the workouts.
"There're no breaks in between each lift," said junior guard Emili Tasler. "When one person finishes, the next one is right there. We're doing everything more quickly."
The intense workouts - which added more push-ups and pull-ups to each early-morning session - have made another effect on the team that is pleasing to Harper: it has drawn the players closer together.
"We have a different kind of team unity and chemistry when we are in the weight room," Tasler says. "We are all helping each other get through our sets. We are trying to be more vocal with each other. Getting up and going to lift at 6 a.m. is difficult, but we are getting stuff done."
And the results are noticeable, especially when the team gathers three times a week for voluntary pickup games.
"You can tell it's helping a lot," Tasler said. "I feel like my arms are bulging. I've hurt a couple of people on accident, just trying to work hard."
Harper told her players they would need to be more physical this coming season if they wanted to be a factor in the Atlantic Coast Conference race. Not necessarily to overpower opponents, but to get through the grueling grind of the conference season. She also set up weekly meetings for her players with a nutritionist to help them make good choices to help their bodies recover from more intense workouts.
"I felt like our team needed to be a little fitter and a little stronger," said Harper, who guided her inaugural team to the ACC Championship title game, losing to Duke 70-60. "I think our kids are really excited about the way their bodies looked in the spring and were excited about becoming a stronger team.
"I felt like we played strong last year, but there was definitely room for improvement, in order to be more consistent on the court. To be consistent in this league, you have to be physically fit to get through the entire season. It can be a long grind. You have to be strong. That's an area where, if we improve, you might see a little more consistency from our entire team."
Tasler says she sees those changes already during pickup play. Marissa Kastanek, the 2010 ACC Rookie of the Year, has expanded her game. Fifth-year senior guard Amber White is playing better than ever. Outside shooting threat Brittany Strachan is adding rebounding and inside play to her repertoire.
"I think we are going to surprise some people this year," Tasler says. "We are going to be a good team. We have a lot of team chemistry. As long as we have good attitudes and keep pushing each other, we will do great things.
"We definitely want to go back to the NCAA. We want to get an ACC championship. You can get a taste of it being in the championship game, but we want to win it."
To get there, Tasler and her teammates wouldn't mind being a little bit more physically intimidating on the court.
"We know after playing this past year that we're not the biggest team," she says. "We're not the tallest team. We have to do the things we can do to be able to compete with those teams that are taller and bigger. One of those things is being stronger.
"We want to be the team that other teams are scared to play because we're more physical than they are."
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
