Long bus rides, altercations with opposing coaches and snoring roommates.

Sounds like fun!

These are just a few of the sidenotes to playing a basketball game on the road for the NIU women’s basketball team.

While athletes and coaches get recognition all around the university, it’s important to see just how much they go through to compete at the highest level in college athletics.

Each phase of the road trip has its own individual issues. The process of the actual trip starts days before the bus pulls out of the Convocation Center parking lot.

According to head coach Carol Hammerle, assistant coach Charmonique Stallworth makes the whole trip go.

The guru of the road trip, Stallworth is in charge of making sure everyone has a room, pre-ordering food for all members on the trip, scheduling a shoot around time at the opposing school, organizing post-game meals and making sure the bus gets to where it needs to be.

“There are always issues,” Stallworth said. “It’s important to keep following up on each responsibility, and it takes a lot of patience.”

Once travel day arrives, some of the pressure is passed to manager Kenny Hill.

Hill, one of the few men to travel with the team, is in charge of putting away all the accessories used at practice as well as helping with getting all the essentials, like Gatorade, on the bus.

“I’ve learned a lot being around all these women,” Hill said. “There are a lot of different personalities, even from day to day.”

Once the preparation is complete, it’s time to go.

Monday’s trip to Eastern Michigan for a game will give an example of what all goes on in the hotel, on the bus and at the dinner table.

Monday, Feb. 17, 3:10 p.m. – Leave the Convocation Center.

The plan was to leave at 3 p.m., but as director of basketball operations Stacy Krueger said, “They never leave on time.”

The team munches on Subway sandwiches and chips as the bus departs DeKalb.

Once on the road, the team engages in an array of activities, such as listening to music, doing homework and watching movies. The first film selection, “Brown Sugar.”

What is it about a guy catching his wife out on a date with another man that strikes a chord in the hearts of a women’s basketball team? When the male character in the movie finds his wife at a nice restaurant with another man, the bus goes nuts.

6:15 p.m. (EST) – Cross the Michigan border.

While the consensus is that no one likes road games, there is one person that doesn’t seem to mind. Bus driver Bob Myers has done this over and over. The trips are just part of the job for the 14-year bus driving veteran.

This also marks the first stop of the trip. The bus pulls over at a rest stop and while exiting the bus, someone yells, “Hey Bob, how much farther do we have?”

“About three hours,” Myers said.

“Is he for real?” junior Jennifer Youngblood asked. “Seems like we’ve already been on this bus five hours.”

Bob smiles.

After getting back on the bus, Hammerle talked about life on the road.

“Road trips are probably the hardest part of coaching,” Hammerle said. “Junior and senior laden teams seem to do better on the road. Seniors should be leaders and role models.”

This could be one of the reasons the Huskies have struggled on the road so far this season. While senior guard Kristan Knake has played four years in Hammerle’s system, she is the only senior currently playing for the Huskies. Going into Tuesday’s game, NIU was just 4-8 away from the Convocation Center.

8:17 p.m. – Dinner.

Stallworth’s preparation goes off without a hitch as the team stops for a meal at the Olive Garden in Jackson, Mich.

The meals are down to a science. The team orders the food a few days before the trip. When the waiters or waitresses bring the food out, they simply call a players name and deliver the food.

While waiting for the food, a conversation sparks about a mysterious nun costume and the true date when Hammerle started her coaching career.

“She always said she started coaching when she was nine,” Associate Sports Information Director Robert Hester said.

“I started coaching when I was 12, now I’m down to nine,” Hammerle said.

10:37 p.m. – Arrive in Ypsilanti.

Team checks into rooms and heads to bed. Six hours on a bus has a way of taking some energy from a team.

Tuesday Feb. 18, 9:27 a.m. – Breakfast.

A breakfast that could feed a king. Every possible combination of breakfast food is available. Fresh fruit was the popular choice but eggs, bacon, omelets and waffles were also available.

Two anonymous roommates talk about last nights snoring fiasco, while others talk about the days news, brought to them through complimentary copies of USA Today.

12:02 – Leave for EMU Convocation Center.

After a short film session, the team departs for shootaround. Ten minutes later, the bus arrives at the Convocation Center.

The EMU Convo Center, in its fifth year of existence, was the model for many schools to follow. The NIU Convo is strikingly similar to EMU’s in the arena. Instead of a sea of red, the seats are green.

In the Convo Center, a clear glass wall shows a view of the football field.

The EMU Convo is about four miles from campus, one reason that EMU traditionally has low attendance at athletic events.

Upon arriving at the Convo, the trip hits its first bump in the road.

NIU was scheduled to have the floor from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

Instead, Eastern’s men’s team continued their practice until 12:45, despite knowing they were supposed to be off 15 minutes prior.

Hammerle is not pleased.

After the mini-fiasco, it’s time to get down to business.

Shooting drills for both guards and post players, free throws and scrimmages all are completed within an hour and a half. After practice, the team returns to the hotel.

3:15 p.m. – Lunch.

The team consumes a wide array of food. The buffet-style meal includes BBQ ribs, seasoned pork chops, potatoes, a full salad bar and made to order pasta.

Assistant coaches Rhonda Dart and Jerilyn Cushing rave about the pasta. Rumors fly that the team will stay an extra day due to the quality of the eats.

Along with the main entrees, there are numerous cakes and desserts. While the food on most trips is good, the food at Eastern has been the best all season. Kudos to Stallworth.

One person, however, is noticeably missing the pregame meal.

Hammerle rarely eats with the team. The only time she will eat is when the team plays on an afternoon. Its been this way for a long time, said Hammerle.

“I use the pregame to kind of get things together,” Hammerle said. “I run about six days a week and I use that time to exercise. Without exercise, I wouldn’t still be coaching.”

5:17 p.m. – Depart for Game.

The mood of the players remains light. The coaches seem calm, but focused. After arriving at the Convo, the team dresses and takes the floor approximately an hour and 15 minutes before tipoff.

When the girls circle up to stretch 45 minutes before the game, they get a special treat.

Injured forward Jamie Wilson busts a move to C&C Music factory while the girls look on with approval and laughter.

With 30 minutes until game time, the team returns to the locker room. Freshman Jennifer Uptmor reads a passage from The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player by John Maxwell.

“Everyone can be excellent,” Uptmor said. “It’s just those who try for it that get it.”

With that, Hammerle speaks about defense, the Lord’s Prayer is said and the team takes the floor.

7:05 p.m. Game Time.

Earlier on the trip, Myers said he didn’t even have to watch the game, he could just watch Hammerle’s face and find out what was going on. He wasn’t kidding.

On the first possession of the game, freshman Joi Scott turned the ball over which led to a three point play for the Eagles. Hammerle just shook her head.

EMU’s lead bulged to 34-17 by halftime.

“I’m going to try and simplify this,” Hammerle said, in the locker room at the half. “The players that were out there at the end of the half are going to start the second half.

“I don’t know why half of you got off the bus. It’s a total embarrassment. They miss, you guys don’t box out, we just go in the tank. You want to do this on your own? Go ahead!”

And with that, Hammerle and the coaches left.

After the exit, the players were left to ponder what happened in the first half. After some analysis, the players were ready to take the floor.

“We’re coming back to win this,” one player said. “Every ball, fly after it, everybody box out. In other words … play hard.”

Despite the efforts of the players, the comeback never got off the ground as the Huskies fell to the Eagles, 62-43.

Everyone seemed shell shocked. Nearly the whole team, coaches included, were stoic when boarding the bus after the game. Before leaving Ypsilanti, the bus makes a quick stop at Jet’s Pizza. Eight pies later, the bus is back on the road.

9:36 p.m. – Bus departs Ypsilanti.

A movie begins to play that gets a few laughs from the players but other than that, the bus is very quiet.

“I think the whole general atmosphere is more positive when we win,” Knake said. “Nobody likes to lose, especially the way we did tonight.”

Knake, the lone senior active on the roster, with Kim Boeding still on the injured list, takes much of the blame for the Huskies road woes.

“As a senior, as a captain, I do put a lot of pressure on myself to make a statement for this team. When things like this happen, I do feel responsible for it. I would rather take that responsibility than anybody else on the team.”

The bus ride home is uneventful. A quick stop at a gas station is the only action. By the time the bus nears DeKalb, the lone light on is above sophomore Alyssa Verdigan’s seat. She listens to her headphones and studies while the majority of the bus sleeps.

Wednesday 2:12 a.m. – Arrive at the Convocation Center.

The team files off the bus with few words. Everyone unpacks their luggage from under the bus and heads quietly for their cars.

A week off for the team couldn’t have come at a better time. Wednesday Feb. 26 is another away game at Central Michigan.

Just over a week until the fun begins again.