By Katrina Frei-Herrmann and Brett Parsons
Swimming & Diving and Basketball are the only two winter sports at HB. With these being the only ones occurring during this time a year, there are often disputes about which is one in the more rigorous sport. Here is a breakdown of the most unique and difficult aspects of each sport from an inside view. Although both sports have their challenges, they both add to the HB experience, teaching you discipline, perseverance, and teamwork.
Basketball |
Swimming and Diving |
| Open gyms started a week before school ended. | Morning practices starting at 6 |
| Beginning in October, conditioning occurred four days a week. | Morning and after school practices (11
practices a week) and Saturday practices |
| Three hours practices on Saturdays when there aren’t any games. | Practices are every day after school from 7:30-9 pm at Orange or John Carroll for diving |
| Sprinting | Swim caps |
| Paul | Post-swimming exhaustion |
| Suicides | Green hair |
| Far away games in the middle of the week | Sticky clothes |
| You must be versatile | Walking in the cold winter after swim practice= frozen hair |
| The race against the clock | Having to shave |
| Man-like uniforms | Facing good teams like Hawken |
| The pressure of free throws | Trying to beat the record board every year |
| Timed water breaks | Relays |
| The consequences of the Browns loosing | Skin-tight uniforms |
| Ankle braces | Knee-skins |
| Watching film | Long distance |
| Rapping being the only way to get through sprinting | Getting bored while swimming and singing annoying songs in your head |
| Sharing the gym | Being expected to not only to swim well, but also, run well. |
| Contact sports and occasional blood | Dry land practices |
| The amount of plays you have to remember | Crowded lanes |
| The hard choices for making everything match (socks, bra, shorts) | Having to share a pool with little kids |
| Memorizing plays and different defenses | Wrinkly feet |
| Improvising on the floor | After practice, your bag is wet, with all the clothes in it. |
| The team sport factor: how well you do depends on your teammates. | Showering at least two times a day |
Sources: HB Twitter
HB IN RETROSPECT 
basketball better