My Losing Season

Green weenies was the nickname that Citadel basketball players gave the group of players that typically never got into actual games but formed a solid second unit as a practice team going against the starting unit of players. Conroy and the other members of the green weenies took much pride in their roles of practicing against the starting unit and cheering them on during games. Conroy was unique in that he began his senior season as a member of the green weenies, but he eventually earned playing time and moved into the starting lineup.

At The Citadel, and many other universities, an Honor Court serves as a student-led organization to impose disciplinary sanctions against students who violate the school’s honor code. Conroy states that, at The Citadel, “the Honor Court was the most feared and the most respected organization on campus” (305). During his senior year, one of Conroy’s basketball teammates was accused of an honor violation, and head coach Mel Thompson attempted to pressure Conroy into using his role as his battalion’s representative on the court to vote in the teammate’s favor. 

In basketball, a fast break is a type of play or strategy in which a team moves the ball up the court as quickly as possible in order to outnumber the defense. Because of his speed, ball-handling, and passing ability, Conroy was skilled at this type of play, which the point guard usually directs. More conservative coaches prefer for their teams to bring the ball up the court more slowly and initiate set plays focused on ball control and passing. 

At military academies such as The Citadel, freshman cadets are known as knobs, most likely because their shaved heads resemble doorknobs. As part of the academy’s plebe system, older cadets ritually haze the knobs. Because the plebe system at The Citadel was particularly difficult for Conroy, he made a vow that as an upperclassman he would only be “pleasant and helpful to knobs” (304). 

A military brat is a term used to describe the children of parents serving full-time in the United States Armed Forces. One characteristic shared by military brats is that their childhoods are spent moving from one area to another as the parent is transferred to new assignments. Because of the constant relocating, many military brats never have a true hometown. This was the case with Conroy, as his family lived in Georgia, Florida, Virginia, Washington, DC, North Carolina, and finally South Carolina at various times before he graduated from high school. 

A plebe is a first-year student at a military academy. The plebe system is a form of ritualized hazing of plebes by older cadets meant to mentally and physically challenge them. Under General Mark Clark, the president of The Citadel during Conroy’s first year, the plebe system at The Citadel was known to be one of the toughest of all American military academies. Because Conroy was there as an athlete rather than a typical student seeking a career in the military, the plebe system was particularly difficult for him. 

The point guard is one of the five positions of an on-court basketball team. Point guards are often smaller than the other players and are almost always faster and better ball-handlers. The point guard is typically tasked with calling a team’s plays on the floor and distributing the ball to the primary scorers. As an excellent ball-handler and passer, Conroy played point guard throughout his high school and college basketball career. Conroy’s identity as a young man was built upon being a basketball player in general and a point guard specifically. The leadership qualities and selflessness required of a great point guard are things that he also applied to his life away from the court.