For the first in a very long time, the lights in the Federal Way gym will be on during the holiday break.

There will be no such break for the No. 7-ranked Eagles boys basketball program. After a scheduling conflict nixed a Nike-sponsored trip to Florida for a basketball tournament, and the district’s lack of funds to send the program to a different tournament, Federal Way is staying home.

Work still has to be done, however.

Federal Way coach Jerome Collins said despite missing out on the opportunity to face some of the best programs in the country, which would help boost the team’s Rating Percentage Index, the coaching staff is putting together a rigorous practice schedule in place of the tournament.

“We had the trip planned, but then they switched the date on us,” Collins said. “They want us to come next Christmas, and it’s just too expensive to try to arrange anything.”

Practice for Federal Way is everything.

The Eagles have the opportunity to be away from the noise and the spotlight of where they are in the RPI on any given day.

To combat all the noise, the Eagles have adopted a saying: Attitudes At Practice or “AAP.”

Simply put, practice at Federal Way is serious business. Players are required to come prepared, both mentally and physically, for the three-hour long sessions, with few breaks in between. They work on previously successful sets, sets that failed and need to be tried again, and an onslaught of defensive rotations.

“It’s tough,” Federal Way sixth man Etan Collins said of Eagle practices. “It’s all business all the time, and it’s exhausting. Like, if you’re not tired after one of our practices, you’ve done something wrong.”

Etan Collins excels at defensive rotations. He led Federal Way with four of its 13 steals in its most recent win over Thomas Jefferson.

He has also undergone the most change on the roster.

The junior began his varsity career as a starter, then he was relegated to a bench role, then back to the starting five. This season, Collins serves as the Eagles’ sixth man.

Despite reoccurring change, Etan Collins has flourished this season, averaging at least seven points and one steal per game.

“I do whatever the coaches ask me to do,” he said. “If they need me to start, I’m ready for that. If coach needs me to come off the bench, I’m ready for that. If it’s going to help us win, I’m in. It’s always about the defense with us, so that’s where I start.”

He is regarded by coaches and teammates as a guy who is soft-spoken with not much to say off the court.

Jerome Collins likened Etan to one of his favorite comic book characters: The Hulk.

While not insinuating Etan Collins has anger issues, he said Etan undergoes a similar night-and-day transformation on the basketball court.

“Off the court he reminds me a lot of Bruce Banner, but when he gets with the guys he’s like The Hulk,” Jerome Collins said. “He’s vocal, and he plays hard. Luckily for us, when he hits the floor, that metamorphosis takes place every time.

“He can be Bruce Banner all he wants, but when he hits that floor, it’s all business. It’s all work. The quiet part doesn’t matter. When you’re under the lights it’s about being competitive and doing what we need to do.”

With no travel plans for the next couple weeks, Etan Collins and the Eagles have ample time to get better heading into 2017.

Despite a 58-point win over the Raiders in their final game before the break, Jerome Collins said the Eagles’ lack of communication and looks of confusion from players on 50-50 balls was concerning.

It’s an easy problem to fix for Federal Way, but adjusting to 50-50 ball starts with a solid game plan.

“The game plan always starts with good defense,” Etan Collins said. “Play good defense, execute the traps, get steals and deflections, and we just have to talk more. When we get that, our offense really starts to click.”

Though travel plans have changed for Federal Way, preparation hasn’t for the back-to-back state championship-winning program.

The Eagles’ next game isn’t until Jan. 3 against Todd Beamer. Vacation or not, though, Jerome Collins said the Eagles’ motto remains the same.

“Play hard. Rebound. Defend. Share the ball. We win,” he said.

Whether the lights are on or not.