Even the best-laid plans don't always work out.
Last year, for example, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men's basketball team had a flight from Puerto Rico delayed so long that no flights to Chattanooga from Charlotte were available. The Mocs took an eight-hour bus ride home.
On their trip to Canada early this September, freshman Josh Odem misplaced his passport. That could have been bad.
The Mocs today begin a nine-day trip that covers about 4,000 miles (as the crow flies) and includes four games.
"It's very important to stay organized and have everything planned out in advance," director of basketball operations Brian Benator said. "There are folders with contact info for restaurants, hotels, the arenas, buses, everything. And you need a backup plan and a backup plan for that too."
The traveling party of 25 will bus to Richmond for a game Sunday at 5 p.m. They'll fly to St. Louis and bus to Columbia, Mo., for a game Tuesday at Missouri. Then they'll fly to South Padre Island, Texas, for one day of relaxation before games Friday and Saturday against Texas-Pan Am and either Longwood or Bethune-Cookman.
"I don't have a parka, and I'm probably not going to take my Speedo," coach John Shulman said. "Most of the time, a hotel looks the same in Richmond as it does in Missouri as it does in South Padre. I'm not one to go out and have fun.
"We're there to play games and get better."
Sophomore Ricky Taylor is a veteran of road trips, but he'll still miss a few comforts of his Chattanooga home.
"I'm going to miss my bed, some home-cooked meals and this gym," Taylor said. "I'll have to pack all my sweats, a comfortable pillow and get my iPod ready. Grab my Bible and I'll be good to go."
But Benator has advised the players to pack light even though the climates will vary from a low of 40 degrees in Missouri to a high of 75 in Texas.
"It can be a pain to carry more than one bag," Benator said. "And we'll tell them to prepare for warm and cold."
And Speedos are optional.
David Uchiyama is a sports writer at the Chattanooga Times Free Press who began his tenure here in May 2001. His primary beats are UTC athletics — specifically men’s basketball and athletic department administration — and golf, which includes coverage from the PGA Tour to youth events. He also covers other high school sports, outdoor adventures, and contributes to other sections of the newspaper when necessary. David grew up in Salinas, Calif., and began working ...
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