It is Nov. 15 and the first official girls basketball practices throughout the county are starting. But where is everybody?
The fall season runs into the winter season, the winter season does the same with the spring. But it's been most apparent this year in girls basketball.
The South Carroll volleyball team makes an incredible run to the state final. Four key players on the Cavs' basketball team are part of the fun, which comes to an end Nov. 19. Two days later they're trading in volleyballs for basketballs.
The Francis Scott Key volleyball team reaches the state semis Nov. 15 and Alice Smith, an assistant volleyball coach who just took over the basketball program this season, misses her first practice as a head coach. She says it's not much of a factor because many of her basketball players are playing volleyball and she has a capable staff of basketball assistants.
The Liberty girls soccer team is still alive and well in the state playoffs until their season ends in the state semis Nov. 12.
There are other factors: season-ending all-star games, photos for fall All-County teams and college visits.
"It's hard, but they've been doing it for years. It's almost second nature," said South Carroll coach Al Skierski. "They're often drained emotionally and it takes a little time to get their heads back into basketball."
Added Westminster coach Bernie Koontz: "You want to get in as many practices as you can. It's a different surface and different kind of running in basketball. It's more explosive up and down the court where as in volleyball it's mostly jumping, and soccer and field hockey is more endurance."
The transition appears demanding on the players and difficult on the basketball coaches, who are doing their best to get their teams ready for a season set to start in early December.
"I'm still kicking the basketball around," said Liberty senior Natalie Hannibal, a first-team All-County soccer standout who will start at guard. "Getting your shot back is the toughest part, and just getting comfortable with a basketball again. I enjoy it though."
The prospects of a great season have South Carroll senior
forward Melissa Gettemy -- a first-team All-County performer in both volleyball and basketball -- ready to go.
"It's not that tough because I'm really excited about the basketball season. It's kind of funny, the other players were asking 'When are you guys coming to practice?' and it just wasn't [the volleyball players]; Amber [Clutter] missed a practice playing in a [soccer] all-star game."
Gettemy's teammate Nicole Spencer, last year's Carroll Player of the Year in basketball and another first-team All-County volleyball selection, said it's a big adjustment, mentally and physically.
"You have to get your head in the right frame of mind and it's a totally different kind of conditioning. I'm always messing around with the basketball, but getting serious running up and down the court and playing aggressive is different," she said. "It's also a big disadvantage for the whole team because we couldn't make cuts until the volleyball players got to practice."
Coaches have different thoughts on ways of making things easier.
North Carroll coach Greg Knill believes a week off between seasons should be mandatory. Tom Delise at Liberty suggests the basketball season should not start until Dec. 1 and a couple of games should be knocked off the schedule. He also mentioned how ineffective the early spring practices were with the bad weather often getting in the way.
Smith had a different perspective. "It's neat to see the enthusiasm go from volleyball right into basketball," she said. "These are the type of kids that want to be playing something. They don't want to be sitting home."
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Could this be the year a Carroll team wins the Central Maryland Conference crown?
The Linganore Lancers have won the CMC title the past four years and the consensus is they are still the team to beat.
"Until [a Carroll team] can show we can beat them, they have to be considered the favorites," said Skierski.
If there's going to be a season, this could be the one. Skierski's Cavaliers and defending Carroll County champ Westminster are both coming off solid seasons and have a lot of talent returning.
The Lancers lost seven players to graduation from last year's 19-5 team, including standout guard Carrie Jenkins and forward Jackie Beach.
They bring back sophomore guard Cara Consuegra and junior forward Melissa Kelly, along with plenty of new young talent to go along with their usual great team speed.
"We're very young. It really depends on how we come along," said Linganore's nine-year coach Brian Matthews. "The CMC should be between Westminster, South Carroll, us and maybe Thomas Johnson. This year's going to be tough."
The 1989-90 South Carroll team under former coach Ruth Lampert was the last Carroll team to win the CMC crown. North Carroll gave the Lancers a good run two years ago, but the Frederick County team weathered the storm despite losing Jenkins to an injury.
"I think we have a pretty good shot," Koontz said. "South Carroll is fielding a pretty good team, we should be pretty good and North Carroll just may step up and surprise some people.
"It would be nice to see someone in the county give a strong run to the Frederick teams and Linganore in particular. It would mean a lot to bring it back in the county -- whoever might win it."