Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

You can often tell how good a team is by how they practice.

On Wednesday night I was in Blooming Prairie for an upcoming story on the boys basketball team and it didn’t take long to find out that the Awesome Blossoms mean business this year.

It all started with the team holding a film session before practice, and the first signs of the team’s dedication showed up as they walked down the hallway into their brand new gym in Blooming Prairie.

I didn’t hear a single word, joke or see anybody goofing off.

Anyone who has been around high school students knows that it’s not uncommon to see a bit of good natured teasing or joking as kids are given down time, but the Blossoms went straight from the film room and into the gym, where they immediately began running conditioning drills.

BP head coach Cam Rutledge barely had to say a word to get his team going and soon the team was in the midst of a scrimmage.

While shot selection wasn’t perfect, the Blossoms crashed the boards, played hard defense and gave a solid effort. For a practice that was taking place right before Christmas break, I’d say it was pretty inspired.

It’s a bit cliche to say that teams play how they practice, but it’s also usually true. If you don’t put in the work when nobody is watching, then it’s going to be hard to get things going when the crowd is big.

The Awesome Blossoms, who are off to a solid start, seem to have figured this out and it will serve them well if they keep up the intensity.

Great practices make great teams.