Hunter Hippel
ASU Student Journalist

At Gilbert Christian, nothing is better than an after practice ice bath

September 24, 2019 by Hunter Hippel, Arizona State University


Members of Gilbert Christian’s football team soak in the after practice ice bath. (Hunter Hippel/AZPreps365)

Hunter Hippel is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Gilbert Christian High School.

It sits there looking like it has no purpose.  Below the gap in the home-side bleachers at Gilbert Christian’s football field is a large plastic bin, big enough to fit a bear, or multiple people, inside if need be.

That need be is Gilbert Christian's team.

Twice a week, usually Monday and Thursday weather-pending, the Knights split into groups for their after practice ice bath.  The tradition started last year as a special once a week treat for the starters, but with new head coach Danny Norris, it was bumped to twice a week starting this season, and included everyone.

The reason for the increase in baths: the health of players.

"It helps you recover," said Ashley Storey, the school's certified head athletic trainer.

No, this isn't just some after practice gaffe the players partake in.  According to Storey, there is legitimate scientific reasoning for doing so, which helps Gilbert Christian's players on the field.

"Physiologically it helps your body and your muscle fibers start to heal and it makes them feel fresh in the morning instead of being sore,” she said.

"[It helps] the players feel better the next day."

The players enjoy it.

"We're sore, and after a hard practice it's nice to feel the ice," sophomore left tackle and defensive lineman Sean Phelps said.

The process of preparing and filling the ice bath, is a simple but long and arduous one.  Team mom Danielle Brewer, whose son David is a freshman, purchases and brings most of the ice.

"She's really taken the bull by the horns," Norris said.  "I asked her if this was a possibility once a week or twice a week and she went full-fledged ahead and is making it happen every single week."

From there, the bags are stored inside Storey's office. Storey occasionally uses the ice machine inside the school, and a team grandfather also chips in, but Brewer provides close to all of the nearly 800 pounds of ice that's used per week.

When practice is close to wrapping up, the work begins. Storey and a couple of the team's student managers make trips back and forth from the office to bring out the bags of ice, placing them up against the side of the bin.  On this Tuesday night, there are eight bags of ice ready to go.

There is strategy for preparing the bath.  Storey first fills the bin, which was found on Amazon, three-quarters full with water.

"The water [from the hose] comes out nice and cold," she said.  

According to Storey, it's a layering process of ice and water that helps the chilliness seep through the entire bin.

As practice wraps up with a prayer, the ice is poured.  Four student managers pound the ice bags into the ground, attempting to break the ice up into smaller chunks.  Some complain about how cold their hands get. Some throw their bags too hard, causing a hole to form, with ice spilling out the bag 

The players tear their uniforms off and strip down to their compression underwear and a shirt.  Groups are formed. There's no real system for the groups; no designated players hop in together.  There's never a clear number of how many groups there are, mostly due to the fact that some players can't stick around for long after practice (On this Tuesday night, that was defensive back Marcus McWilliams, whose mom was blowing up his phone with texts to get home).  But one thing is always the same: Each group gets 10-15 minutes in the bath, with Storey lassoing them in and out.

Players first dip their feet in, then sink themselves down somewhere between their knee and upper ankle.  Finally, once the warning comes from Storey that their time is almost up, they sink their bodies into the frozen water.

When that happens, the banter between teammates - the same kind you'd here in the locker room after practice - turns to groans and hollers.  It's the initial feel of the water, according to Phelps.

"At the beginning it's cold, but once everyone's body heat gets going it gets a little warmer," he said.

Frequently, a member from each group gets the short end of the stick and has either an extra bucket of ice or cold water dumped on him.  It was Phelps’ turn this time.

"That was just a random thing," he said.

But Phelps doesn't mind it.

"It was cold," he said.  "But I'm from Washington, so I think I have a better tolerance than these guys."

One player, Darion Martin-Dantzler, is nowhere to be seen on Monday and Thursday after practice.  The junior fullback runs away once practice concludes, according to teammates, fearing the cold water of the ice bath.

"He just doesn't like the water," Phelps said.

Martin-Dantzler's antics and the team's overall reaction to the ice water amuse coach Norris.

"You'd think these guys are going through some torturous process when really they're just sitting in a bunch of cold water," he said.  "It's hilarious."

But Norris believes the pain really does make a difference.

"I think it's important for these guys to rejuvenate their bodies, get healthy and stay healthy," he said.