“The legacy of the long gold line is rich in tradition.”

This is what PV girls basketball coach Jeff Jasper said about his girl’s basketball program. His teams have built traditions, routines and even superstitions in the 42 years Jasper has been the head coach of the team.

One of the most important traditions of the team its team mantra. It serves as a unifying phrase for the team. Each year, the seniors of the team come together and pick a word that they believe best fits as a motto for the year along with a color they feel suits them. This year’s seniors, Else DiGiacopo, Lyndsay Grilo, Emily Johansen, Kim Pane, Amanda Verbraska and Krista Voto, chose “now” as their motto and maroon as their color.

Every time the team comes together, when they gather in the huddle, they say “now.” It serves a “rallying cry,” as Jasper called it.

When they choose the word and the color, all the team wear is designed around it. Each girls receives team clothing in the color that the seniors picked, this year’s clothing is maroon. Along with a warm-up shirt with the word “now” printed across the back of the shirt.

While the motto and color is important for the team, Jasper believes that something else is the most important part of his team.

“I shake every kids hand at the end of every practice and at the end of every game.”

Jasper, who describes himself as “an intense guy,” takes this opportunity to be able to have a one-on-one with his players regarding things they did well with and things that need improvement. He also believes that this is where his players can ask him questions or where Jasper himself can clarify things with each individual. They go in the same order every time they shake.

Every game day, Jasper hands out a “scouting report” of the other team to each of his players. It also has the player’s expectations on it. When each player goes to pick it up, they must shake his hand.

The girls follow this tradition outside of the gym as well. If they happen to see Jasper outside of a regular basketball setting, they go and shake his hand.

There are also some superstitions that are personal to Jasper, most of his all on game day. Before every game, Mr. Rich Lehman, the JV and freshman coach, always gives Jasper three pieces of gum. Mr. Doug Goodman, an assistant coach of the team, has to hold Jasper’s keys during each game. Jasper wears almost the same outfit the entire season, along with a ring, a bracelet and a watch. In his pocket, a pocket watch given to him given to him by his first team, cufflinks that belonged to his father, and a pen given to him by Joe Poli.

The entire girls basketball coaching staff wears smile pins in remembrance of the late Joe Poli, one of Jasper’s greatest supporters and friends.

The players themselves also have some superstitions and traditions. Some of them are fairly normal and others are out-of-the-box ideas.

Most noticeable is the girl’s game day attire. The girls basketball team wears sweatpants. Lyndsay Grilo said the reason is, “It gets us very, like Jasper says, ‘Zen.’”

At 22 minutes before every game, the team gathers in the locker room for a speech from Krista Voto, who pumps the team up and gets them in the zone to play a good game that day. Every game, the team wears maroon pre-wrap headbands (their color for this year). Kim Pane said that the superstition revolves around the idea of, “look good, play good, feel good.” It is a also a rule that all players have to be wearing the same color headbands, sweatbands, wrist bands or any other accessory according to the NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations).

Other traditions include wearing the same sports bra, spandex and socks to every game (washed of course) and having pasta parties the night before every game. Some of the players have special rules regarding gum (having it only during warm-up or some the whole game), and they believe they can’t play without, as Grilo said, “good vibes and cash money.”

Else DiGiacopo explained what the team calls the “360 tuck n’ puff,” which caused an eruption of laughter and yelling in the locker room. The “360 tuck n’ puff” is a certain way that each player tucks her uniform shirt into the shorts (all loose uniform tops have to be tucked in according to the NFHS).

“You tuck [the top] into your spandex, you tuck it tight, then you puff 360 degrees around, and then you roll your shorts two times.” DiGiacopo said, “but you loosen up your spandex… waving arms back and forth.”

Last Week: The Lady Indians were defeated last Tuesday by Teaneck in a tough battle 37-32. High scorers include sophomore Shannon Culloo and Grilo each with 8 points. Freshman Kelly Smith added another six points for the team.

Friday, the team topped off Paramus 53-35. Else DiGiacopo scored 15 points, Kelly Petro dropped 11 points and Shannon Culloo added another seven.

After weather postponed the “Army of Hope” benefit for families of army personnel stationed overseas on Sunday, the Lady Indians defeated Rutherford Monday 47-30 at IHA. Top scorers were DiGiacopo with 13 points and Culloo adding another 10 points. This game puts the team into the county tournament with a record of 6-5, above the .500 win percentage needed to qualify.

This Week: The Lady Indians were scheduled to play IHA today, but due to regulations were not able to play the game because they qualified for the county tournament on Saturday. Thursday, team hosts Ridgewood at 4 p.m. There is a county tournament game on Saturday, location and time TBD.