There is, in theory, a formula to derive the quintessential Loyola basketball player: one part crazy, two parts gluttony for punishment, then fill to the top with physical discipline.

Actually, this formula doesn’t apply to all cases; it’s designed specifically to describe junior guard Kiely Schork, an mass communication major from Burlingame, Calif.

Schork discovered basketball at age five, and by the fourth grade, she was already a diehard fan of her home team, the Golden State Warriors, and participating in professional basketball camps.

While this probably only borders on intensive, her enthusiasm for the sport at an age when the most to be expected of her is mastering cursive handwriting is a little crazy.

“Even at that age, I remember kids being like, ‘Oh, I hope it rains so we don’t have practice,’ but I always couldn’t wait to go to practice,” Schork said.

Now in her third season at Loyola, her eagerness for 6:30 a.m. practices hasn’t diminished. But certain aspects of college life that most take for granted, Schork considers a luxury.

“Being on a team, you automatically sacrifice a lot of things. You’re giving three hours a day (at practice), and then you have class, and all you want to do is sleep,” Schork said. “When you do have free time, you appreciate it so much more.”

Schork attended Pinewood, a small high school in Los Altos, Calif., because of its excellent basketball program (Pinewood won the Division V State Championship three times in 2002, 2005 and 2006). When choosing a college, she had to decide between larger, Division I schools, or one with a team that would challenge her. She credits coach Dobee Plaisance for swaying her decision.

“We had a meeting in her office with my parents, and she told how much she puts into the program because it’s what she believes in. She’s the biggest reason I’m here, because I wanted the challenge,” Schork said.

Now, theology may have an alternate definition for the Theory of Sacrifice, but Schork, a volatile cocktail of the aforementioned ingredients, understands exactly what it means to a college athlete.

“There are a lot of things you learn from the program. I think I’ve just started realizing how much it’s prepared me for the future, everything from time management to basic respect for teachers and peers,” Schork said. “After you’ve sacrificed so much, you’re bound to be successful at whatever you do.”

Nicole Mundy can be reached at [email protected].