There’s always a few butterflies on the first day of practice.

Freshmen feel them, seniors are not immune and even the coach can be touched by a fleeting doubt or two.

So it was on Monday in Erickson Gym as the Falcon girls basketball season got under way. The first order of business was conditioning, to find out which girls were physically ready to play, and which were not.

Falcon coach Henry Pope had the girls engage in a variety of drills designed to wear them out and toughen them up, while maintaining a high degree of fun.

One such drill was a variation on the game of “tag.”

Senior Reilly O’Sullivan stood in the center of the court, softly dribbling her basketball. The other Falcons lined up on the baseline, also dribbling, but using their left hands only. At the whistle, the girls attempted to cross the court while avoiding O’Sullivan, who quickly tagged Lindsey Grimm, and so on.

After a few minutes of frantic action, Pope had the girls switch to the right hand.

“It accomplishes a number of goals,” Pope explained. “They have to run hard while dribbling and get used to using both hands. They begin to bond as a team and, as you saw, they have a good time.”

Later, Pope told the girls there are no certainties on who will make the varsity squad.

“Freshmen, don’t think for a minute you can’t make the varsity,” he said. “You can, but you have to work for it. I’m looking for good defense, great rebounding skills, solid shooting and a lot of hustle.

“And you seniors, there are no guarantees just because you played last year. All of you have to qualify, because seniors can’t be on the JV team.”

Junior Emily Martin, a stand out cross country runner in the fall, is trying out for the first time.

“I played in middle school, but I’m a little rusty and maybe a little out of shape,” she said. “But I enjoy playing basketball, and I wanted to try something besides running.”

Grimm is a freshman who has been playing for two years.

“Once I get back into shape, I expect to specialize in jump shots and the defense,” she noted.

Annalies Schuster is another middle school player hoping to make the team.

“My favorite spot is post — right under the basket where I can make all the shots and rebounds,” she said hopefully.

After practice, Pope said there’s a lot of work to do, especially with the loss to graduation of several key seniors, including Lindsey Newman, who led the entire state in points scored last season —

576 total for a per-game average of 28.2.

“My two main goals are better execution on the court and developing more cohesion as a team,” Pope explained.

This year, once the teams are picked, the girls will decide who they want to serve as captains.

“A captain needs to lead by example,” Pope noted. “They must be on time, never miss practice or games, take criticism as a compliment and put the team first. Always.”

He plans on being tougher on girls who play for select teams on the mainland, such as soccer or volleyball.

“I’ve let them slide in the past, but not this year,” he said. “All my players have to commit to this game and their teammates at South Whidbey High School.”

But Pope admitted that he waits and plans and thinks about this day all year.

Pope isn’t above a little self-criticism. Known for his intensity during games, he plans to throttle back a bit.

“I’m working on a more laid-back attitude on the sidelines this season,” he said. “I love this game and don’t ever want to take away from the girls, who are the real stars out there.”