Questions

How does it begin? How does it end? What does it look like along the way?

Official practice starts Monday. We will spend more than four months accumulating the answers to those questions. Each year is different. Each team is faced with its own set of challenges, no matter how talented they are. The season will present obstacles that we haven't considered yet, things like illness, injuries, and periods of subpar performance. The ending is a function of all the things that take place through the season. Did we improve as individuals and as a team? Did we avoid the injuries that can alter the makeup of the team? How was our team chemistry? Did we make the adjustments -- hit the curve ball? -- that became necessary as unexpected circumstances suddenly disrupted the framework of our carefully laid plans? When it was all said and done, were we able to play at a high level, handle adversity, and emerge as a championship team?

Lots of questions. Very few answers. Yet.