2008 Woodie Awards
Basketball Team Holds Tryouts
High Intensity Level Proves Too Much For Some
Tzvi Twersky
Issue date: 10/22/07 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 1
“That,” a sweat soaked Jeremy Pressman said, “was the most nerve racking night of my life.” Pressman, an incoming six-foot-one sophomore, who played varsity basketball at Stern high school in Philadelphia was one of the hopefuls who made the first cut. The night in discussion was the evening of men’s basketball tryouts for the 2007-2008 Yeshiva basketball team.
As a handful of spectators and Coach Jonathan Halpert looked on, more then thirty hopefuls- ranging from five-foot-six to six-foot-six, battled for the few coveted spots on the Macs' roster. To gain a spot, these athletes weaved their way through an exhausting array of shooting, defensive, and ball-handling drills. Every movement and every small ball fake counted, and it was visible in the effort exerted by the sweating, floor burned, and bleeding bodies. This effort took its toll and some, including Danny Shapiro, could not finish the tryout with issues ranging from fatigue to a severely injured knee which required hospitalization.
The participants who did complete the closely scrutinized tryout were rewarded at the end of the night with the opportunity to huddle with Coach and hear the names of the lucky- no, skilled- nine that advanced to a second tryout and earned the chance to practice with the incumbent players.
One of these returning players, point guard and senior captain David Schaulewicz, was present at the try-out and had some thoughts on the night of basketball. “That’s certainly the most well-attended tryout I have seen in my three years here. Some of those guys could really play ball at a high level. The nine guys who moved on have the skill, in my eyes, to help us immediately, but only if they put in the work. ” David continued, “Coach knows what we need and I think he filled some of our gaps and strengthened our squad. It’s just too bad we didn’t have any more openings for some of the deserving guys who got cut.” Their sentiments exactly.
As a handful of spectators and Coach Jonathan Halpert looked on, more then thirty hopefuls- ranging from five-foot-six to six-foot-six, battled for the few coveted spots on the Macs' roster. To gain a spot, these athletes weaved their way through an exhausting array of shooting, defensive, and ball-handling drills. Every movement and every small ball fake counted, and it was visible in the effort exerted by the sweating, floor burned, and bleeding bodies. This effort took its toll and some, including Danny Shapiro, could not finish the tryout with issues ranging from fatigue to a severely injured knee which required hospitalization.
The participants who did complete the closely scrutinized tryout were rewarded at the end of the night with the opportunity to huddle with Coach and hear the names of the lucky- no, skilled- nine that advanced to a second tryout and earned the chance to practice with the incumbent players.
One of these returning players, point guard and senior captain David Schaulewicz, was present at the try-out and had some thoughts on the night of basketball. “That’s certainly the most well-attended tryout I have seen in my three years here. Some of those guys could really play ball at a high level. The nine guys who moved on have the skill, in my eyes, to help us immediately, but only if they put in the work. ” David continued, “Coach knows what we need and I think he filled some of our gaps and strengthened our squad. It’s just too bad we didn’t have any more openings for some of the deserving guys who got cut.” Their sentiments exactly.
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