This morning I wake up somewhere….not really sure where. When I was younger this did happen upon occasion but certainly I have matured since then. Oh….there is a clock over my left shoulder 5:14…..Oh yeah I stopped in Toledo after a long travel day.
My eyes felt like someone put dumped sand in them…..As I get out of the bed I think… that “little man” put his socks in my mouth – or did something else….. brush my teeth and hop into a fine hot shower.
Pack up and out the door….ready to roll on down the Ohio turnpike across PA on 80 East. Slip down the Northeast Extension cut thru my wonderful Lehigh Township thru the borough of Northampton – past Savage Road……thru the curves on Weaversville Road….down Shoenersville Road to Moravian College.
Let’s backtrack a little – how did we get to this point. It’s a little hazy because we had spent the entire day in jets or airports (will they ever change the name to jet ports?). Left hotel in Milan to get to the airport at 6:00 AM (midnight our time) and finished up landing in a jet later at 11:00 PM EST. I am not sure but 11 hours I think.
The three Musketeers – (Curtis, Terry and myself) are pretty much now Mousekateers and ready for bed. But, I felt like I needed to cut a little of the drive down to Pennsylvania for the next day. Hopped in my truck and ran down to Toledo – found a hotel (Hampton Inn) and hit the sack. OK here we are!
Curtis and Terry did a hell of a job talking about the European football project to both groups we had highlighted. We wanted to spend time with the Italian Football League administrators – we did. We wanted to have a meeting with the SAFV (Switzerland American Football Verdant) – we did.
But…Terry and Curtis were awesome. Often having to step back and realizing their audience wasn’t made up of coaches from the
US they were dealing with normally. These were guys who loved football and wanted to create a fantastic league in Switzerland. Realizing these things Both Terry and Curtis continually adjusted.
All I did was connect people and watch. Pretty much was the guy who checks that all is well. I am pretty good at that. Let the big dogs pull the sled – I just wanted to go on the ride.
So, following a really interesting and enlightening meeting Friday nite in Varesi (home of the Varesi Gorillas) 
we head to Lucerne. The amazingly competent Cyrill drives us across Switzerland. Lucerne is usually a two or so hour drive. The coolest part is you actually go through a tunnel and go under the alps. That part of the journey is ten and a half miles (16.9 kilometers for those of you who want to be metrically sound.) I can’t even begin to understand how long it would take if we had to go OVER the Alps. Those are not little hills.
But Cyrill is a professional and he drives like he belongs driving with NASCAR! But trust me he was flying around curves and down these steep problems they call mountains. I’m glad I was sitting in the back of the van. Curtis – much braver than me – sat in the front. Luckily he dozed thru some of the daredevil stunts that Cyrill took to get around some of those trucks.
Lucerne is a beautiful old city in Central Switzerland in the German speaking area. After the fall of the Roman Empire in the 6th century there were inhabitants in this area. But, it really became established at the end of the 1200’s. (A little more history I am sprinkling in for you here!)
So, well Lucerne, yeah it is just a little bit older than Northampton, Pennsylvania – the Home of the Konkrete Kids!
Here are a few shots of this great place. Trust me when I tell you this. When you build a city in the 1200’s you don’t take into account how to find parking for the 100,000 residents and tourists that flock to this area now.
Luckily everyone drives compact cars etc. Still you can spend hours trying to figure out how you will navigate the downtown area. That is just what we did! I guess horses must be easier to park.
Our meeting went well with the group of coaches Giorgio put together. We pretty much had our contingent of guys from the Under 19 National team. Great to see my pal Christian Krattiger who was the national teams director of the SAFV (Swiss American Football Verdant) which is the football league in Switzerland.
Stephan, Daniel, Werner and Michel Spitznagle our Head coach from the offensive side…Giorgio, Cyrill (AJ Boyd Jr.) and myself from defense. Evan Harrington, Flavio and David from the Winterthur Warriors. Franck Meatchie, and Vincent Pilloud from the Fribourg Cardinals (Another really pretty city with a beautiful “Old Town”!). Alain Valvona and his wife represented the Monthey Rhinos from the French region of Switzerland at the table.
Terry and Curtis knocked the presentation out of the park. These guys are pro’s. Very smooth and well done. I know that the people attending were excited and can see so much opportunity.
We have to remember that there have been some football leagues around Switzerland since the 1980’s But there hasn’t been a tremendous amount of exposure to actual American coaching. We are here to try and open those doors and perhaps to help continue the growth of American football.
At the same time our project should allow Swiss U19’s some access to coming to the US to go to school and continue playing football. It is an ambitious project that will require our group of Swiss coaches to “push the envelope” and help grow the interest in our great game.
I know for a fact the guys at this meeting see the future and how bright it could be for American Football in Switzerland. These guys are the fundamental base of our project. I have such respect for them and want to do anything I can so they can enjoy football as much as I have.
Well…now back in the US! Getting ready to help the Hounds to prepare to play on the road at Junaita. Long overnight trip for the troops and we have to work hard to make sure we get it right!
Last shot of Lucerne as we turn the page on that adventure for the “Second Luckiest Man in the World!”
