Month: August 2018

As we put the finishing touches on our training camp on the Moravian Campus (but on the field at Liberty High School) we begin to look towards our opening opponent.  Theoretically we will face Kings College in the first game of the 2018 football season.

This is to be a home game – but, not so fast.  We are having issues with the newly installed synthetic field at Steel Field.  To this point the installation is not  a quality job and it is unacceptable.

The company that is installing it and the administrators assure the team and coaches that it will be repaired and most certainly be ready for next weekend.  Well??!!

There is certainly a cloud of doubt in most of our minds.  After all the same people assured us that the field was to have been finished by the beginning of training camp in early August.  Let’s just think about how that has turned out.  Not so great.  So, you can see why there is some skepticism on the part of the Hounds team.

But, this team has done an awesome job of training throughout the camp days.  In fact, in regards to problems with situations like situations in the dorms, arguing amongst team members, poor practice efforts, players missing meetings, some guys leaving due to being homesick or just wanting to stop playing ball – there literally have been none.

Obviously the strong guiding hand of Jeff Puksyzn and his assistant coaches Jim Newhard, Chris Leavenworth, John Harrison, Gary Martell, Evan Harvey, Doug Turrell, Steve Gordy, Ian Heck, Tim Wait, Mike Kane and John Menegakis things have been extremely smooth.  Strength Coach Tom Long has long been a steadying influence on the team throughout the year.

But, a lot of the success we have seen in camp is due to the newly elected captains.  Seniors Nick Zambelli (two year captain) and Nick Tone – Juniors Sal Pagano and Brett Poling.  Although they have just been officially named to these leadership posts – they have been working hard a long time with their teammates..

************Honestly this is an honor that is rightly deserved!****************

Also, we just have a team with an awesome personality.  They work hard and are very diligent in their efforts both on and off the field.  They are a tight knit group and they genuinely care about one another.  Quite honestly they are fun to be around!

The guys – the troops – are the reason we have been on autopilot for the whole camp.  They can also be credited for keeping things in perspective and ignoring the negative shadow the lack of our football field has cast upon us.

Again – not a single glitch in our constantly changing schedule.  These 100 or so guys are a very calm and confident bunch – I can’t wait to watch them play because I know this steadiness will carry onto the field.

As we begin to approach our opener there are some changes that must be made to the way we practice.  No longer are the coaches in the training and evaluation phase of camp…we now begin the preparation phase.

As we enter the first of many game weeks our practices begin to change in how we work with the team.  For instance we are now concentrating on how we can best match our teams strengths with the opposition.

However, it still comes down to doing what we do.  As a coach you realize that you cannot change the makeup of your team – therefore you continue to develop your offensive, defensive and special teams schemes.

But, you have to stay within your philosophy….it is impossible to have success if you are constantly changing your approach each week.  For instance – on defense you cannot suddenly become a blitzing and high pressure team if you don’t have the players who can execute those assignments.  It is silly to try and cover man-on-man if you don’t have the skilled athletes who are up to the task.

If you lose touch with your philosophy and become a “grab-bag” team that changes its personality each week you are asking for trouble.  As a coach you have to stay true to yourself or you are inviting disaster.

So as we practice it is now important that we build scout teams to help the offense, defense and special teams prepare for the game.  These teams will simulate what our opponent will do on game day – they allow the starters to work the various schemes we will use during the competition.

Most often the “Look Squad” will be made up of some older backup players blended with younger (inexperienced) members of the team.  These are truly the unsung players on our team.  But, they may be the most critical guys we have.

If we don’t get a good look from the scout players – then the starting units won’t be as prepared as they should be on game day.

******In professional football there is a saying “You are only as good as your Look Squads!”  It is right on the money.  In professional football you only have 63 players and your scout team is made up of backup players and during critical weeks some starters will be involved to create a “great look”.*****

Often the players making up these important facets of our team are just about ready to become members of the top two units.  So, consequently many of these guys end up leaving the service teams within a few weeks.

Football is the ultimate team game – and sometimes it is hard to be a good teammate.  There are times when our egos get in the way.  It happens to players and yes to coaches as well…..guess what – it will ultimately hold them back.

To have a solid and cohesive team everyone must play their role….sometimes it isn’t easy.  But, no one said it was going to be easy…and no one said it was going toe fair either!

Lets go Hounds!

 

Well, I survived my first practice at Moravian.  Forgot how long these practices can be.  With all of the NCAA rule changes and limitations to how much work you are allowed to do with the players the practices have actually been lengthened (I guess the NCAA allows up to three hours of work in a practice session).

Given the attention span of most normal people that is an awful large amount of time.  Now, for people who don’t understand football or how a sports team practices – you don’t just stand there doing one thing for three straight hours.  The practice is divided up into sections where you work on various parts of the game.

So, there is little  monotony – there is quite a variance in the day where there are different drill periods – some scripted – some competitive – others dedicated to a certain area of the game (think goal line, red zone, field goal etc.)  Really, there is a lot going on.

But, three hours of stressful activity does take its toll.  There is an art to maximizing practices – keeping your team fresh and alert both physically and mentally.  Obviously there are some very demanding parts of the day…but you have to balance out practice with a certain amount of mental work without grinding your team down and wearing them out.

If you practice with a heavy volume of contact and exertion your team will not be fresh when they compete.  In fact you will begin to see the nagging hurts that an athlete expects turn into full blown injuries and that will obviously hurt your team when you begin  to play games.

On the other hand if you don’t practice hard enough and train with a certain degree of physical emphasis you will find that your team is not prepared for the rugged demand required to play a game.  It is a delicate balance that coaches constantly talk about.

There isn’t a meeting that goes by in the coaching offices that doesn’t have some discussion about the overall health and development of your team.  You have to work hard…but as a coach you must be smart with how you train your players.

Unlike bigger schools where you have a larger number of athletes on the team here at Moravian we generally start off with around 95-100 players.  Now, that sounds like a lot.  But, in reality there are a very high number of untried players who are really unseasoned by college competition.

For instance there were 45 or so freshman players brought onto the roster this year.  That is close to half of our players.  Now some of those guys will have to play – and some a significant amount.  But it is really hard to count on young players who have never experienced a college game.

There aren’t any coaches that I know of who really want to play with young and inexperienced players.  Regardless of talent these young guys tend to make more mistakes than veterans – and often at really bad times.

But, that is the way it is in Division III football.  You do your best to keep your team healthy and still get them well prepared for competition and you train the younger players to step up into the breach when you need them.

Don’t get me wrong – it is a great challenge and a tremendous amount of fun.

*********************************

Our football field blues continue on here on the campus.  As many people know the Steel Field complex is in the process of getting a new synthetic surface.  It was to have been completed at the beginning of our training camp.

Like I said – was supposed to be completed.  To this point over two weeks later the Hounds still have yet to set foot on that field.  Countless problems – most of which seem to be the fault of the installers – have forced the team to practice at Liberty High School.

Fortunately Liberty is only two blocks from our locker facility.  A short walk and we can practice on their field.  It is awful nice of the school to grant us access to their facilities.  Unfortunately in a day or so more problems are going to drop onto our heads.

The high school season opens up this weekend and we are going to be  unable to get into their stadium as easily as we have these past few weeks.  In fact with the beginning of classes next week at Moravian and Liberty’s scheduling we are going to be in real trouble trying to practice.

It is hard for me to imagine problems like these arising in major schools.  In fact I would bet that you would be hard pressed to find a situation like this anywhere.  This is a catastrophe waiting to happen!

WE HAVE A GAME ON THE FIELD NEXT SATURDAY!

What a crime that a reputable company cannot even get a project finished on time.  It appears to me that Moravian is being held hostage over something the school cannot control!

************************************************

Despite all of the outside problems with the field and it’s completion the camp itself has been a very smooth operation.  The players have been absolutely awesome and done a fantastic job of changing direction in midstream over and over again.

There has been no complaining….no bitching and moaning about what a pain in the ass the walk up the street to practice has been.  The daily (if not hourly) changes to the schedule has been carried out without even a sideways glance.

Obviously the staff led by Jeff has done a great job of managing the problems.  Reacting and leading without looking around and the shaking of heads.  They have met the situation head on with professionalism and enthusiasm – in fact with great humor!

But there is so much credit that needs to be given to the senior class.  Despite being small in number the members of that group are large on strength.  They have banded together with a very strong junior class who have kept everything running smoothly.

Moravian College should be proud of these guys – they are absolutely awesome.

Can’t wait to watch the guys play next weekend – just hope we can play on OUR field!

Well just finishing up cleaning the basement and putting together my bags for my run down to Pennsylvania and work with the Greyhounds of Moravian College.  I feel bad that I am showing up late to work with Jeff Puksyzn’s team…but it couldn’t be helped.

Perhaps had I been smart enough to remember my bag with the laptop, iPad and my football notebooks I could have gotten to Bethlehem in time.  Unfortunately I don’t have them yet  – they must be stuck somewhere between Zurich and Detroit I guess!  (Next time I better not stay up to 2:00 in the morning with Heineken [that was the problem it wasn’t a Coors Light!] in hand telling stories with my pal Fulgi.

What a life!  But paid the price by forgetting my carry on bag.

I have to clean the basement because it is where I hang out when I am home.  It has everything I need – beer, bathroom, beer, computers, beer, TV, beer, treadmill, beer, recumbent bike, beer, min-itramp for rebounding, beer, microwave and also beer!  I do allow it to get somewhat sloppy but it’s not real hard to clean up – throw out trash, tidy up my football books and vacuum.

Recurring theme there – don’t you think?

However, I waited as long as I could in hopes that the bags would arrive via carrier.  But alas – they have not showed up.

Got to get moving. – tomorrow in the early AM will be my takeoff time.  9 and a half hours later should be near the end of the trip.  It really isn’t that bad a drive – toughest part is around Detroit and then in Northwestern Pennsylvania as you battle the trucks on route 80 in those mountains.

It will be good to be back in the football world again.  I am looking forward to seeing all of the coaches and spending time with the players.  Moravian has become a big part of my life (and imagine I went to Muhlenberg!).

I am looking forward to seeing the team in person – to this point I have been able to watch all of the practice video on the HUDL app we all have.  Looks like we may be on the verge of getting back on track this season.

 

Excellent news last night as my good friend Jared Devries was selected into his home Hall of Fame.  A well deserved honor for someone who has given so much back to his community.

He spent thirteen years playing defensive line (not easy to do) in the NFL.  He was a consensus All-American at Iowa and just a tremendous guy.  What a teammate and a fantastic guy to have on the team.

I got to know he and his family very well in our years together and watched he and his wife Jamie raise two great young high school students.  I truly was lucky to have been around him for all of those years.

He has done a tremendous job as a high school coach and it is a pleasure for me to see him in that role.  His influence and guidance of those young guys on his team will be so rewarding for them.  He is one of the several players I have had the luck to coach who have gone on to be successful coaches.

You cannot find enough guys like Jared….he brings so much to the table and shows the people around him the meaning of hard work and class!

What a great man!

We also continue to push on with our European (ad)ventures – looking forward to developing our second annual Sound Mind Sound Body Europe combination of player development, combine drills and coaching clinic.  We learned a lot about what we need to do to keep driving our ideas forward.

The complex in Tenero, Switzerland was fantastic and they had everything you possibly need to conduct a larger and improved version of “SMSBE 2.0.”  I am really looking forward to our revamped version.

Although we felt that our attendance lagged a little I think that we found out how we can really broaden that area.  We have had many ideas and offers to help for our next (ad)venture.  We also made some great connections to build the platform even bigger.

Plus, we made even more friends and really that is what this is all about anyway.

There are a few promising collaborations that we have looked into – one that is particularly intriguing is with the Torino Giaguari (Jaguars).  This is a well organized team that is coached by Rico Merola.

Rico runs a camp for kids (more that 200) in conjunction with the University of California’s football staff.  There is some interest in adding our SMSBE into the equation which would make for even more exposure.

I think that our platform has a lot to offer – especially with Curtis Blackwell operating a critical part of the venture.  He has been doing this at a high level for more than 15 years.  He is very charismatic and this coupled with his sincerity makes the SMSBE very appealing.

Plus, we have Terry Copacia operating his QB teaching and coaching.  That in itself is something that all of Europe needs.  For the football to continue to improve it is imperative to develop guys who can throw the ball effectively.

Trust me Terry can teach people how to pass the ball.  Of all the comments I heard from our coaches in attendance was that the impact Terry had was tremendous.  I have to say I am not surprised because I have seen him weave his magic for more that 25 years.

When he gets the QB training going in Europe you are going to see a rapid development of the game amongst the younger players.  And, really that is what it is all about – improving coaching and player development at the youth level.

I get to stand around and watch all of these other guys do the work.

And not only did I make Terry and Curtis work….yup the Swiss connection of Giorgio Volpi and Fulgi Jorio had to make sure everything was OK when we got there.

No small task – arranging the complex, fighting to get publicity, setting up bank accounts.  Not to mention that Fulgi was the caretaker of the crew and both he and Giorgio graciously housed us. (not a word of that house of Giorgio’s way up on the top of that mountain)

It truly was a great adventure established by five friends who learned that through honesty and great effort tremendous things can be accomplished.

 

Well, like I said – for me the next several weeks shape up like this.  Football with the Hounds.  Pizza, steak sandwiches, birch beer, Tastykakes, the sacred waters of the Lehigh River, going to the Hungarian Hall, visiting with my Dad and Judy, Steve and Wendy, Pat and Dann, hanging out with Tom (Leo) and the rest of the guys!

What else can you expect from the “Second Luckiest Man in the World!”

 

 

I was scheduled to begin my coaching gig down at Moravian College tomorrow.  But a little glitch jumped into the mix.  I am currently on hold as I wait for some property to arrive from Switzerland.

I am still sitting here at home waiting for a box to arrive from Milan, Italy with my computer and iPad.  They were sent a day or so ago, so who knows how long it will take for them to get here to Michigan.

But, my trip down to Pennsylvania hinges on when those things arrive.  So…the Moravian Greyhounds coaching experience is on hold right now.  I have no doubt that they will be fine without me.  But, none-the-less I am looking forward to heading down and trying to help the team out as much as I can.

It’s hard to believe that I have been coaching there for the last five seasons (or is it six?).  But the time certainly has flashed by and I have enjoyed every second of it.  Really, the experience has been very good for me all the way around.

There is no doubt that being in the Lehigh Valley for a few months is always a lot of fun.  I get to visit with family and friends as well as continue with my life’s  work which is working with young men involved in football.  When I look back over the years I really feel grateful to have had all of the opportunities that I have had.

I have never taken the role of a football coach for granted…and I never will.  I consider it a privilege to be called “Coach”.  Although sometimes when they use an cuss-word as an adjective in front of coach to criticize us coaches well you know…. well that isn’t so cool.  (Like “That @#$% coach is a dumbass” etc.)  But, you cannot let stuff like that bother you.

Our group “Sound Mind Sound Body-Europe” just returned from Tenero, Switzerland a few days ago after our first ever football camp there.  In fact that may be the first American Football Camp ever held in Switzerland.  How cool is that??!!

Luckily I traveled with two very exceptional guys and a fantastic young lady.  Two men who are my friends.  Curtis Blackwell who is the founder of the nation wide brand of “Sound Mind Sound Body” (with his sister Jasmine who basically is our football operations person among other football jobs she performed without a hitch in her step)  and Terry Copacia who created “All State Quarterback School.”  Great traveling companions and also people who you can count on at all times.

I have met some extraordinary people over the years.  But Terry and Curtis are exceptional people.  They are both businessmen who have taught me a lot in that aspect – yet they are also coaches who understand that end of our project as well.  I am lucky to be with them and they really counsel me daily in how to be a leader and someone who can inspire young people to get better.

Unfortunately while we were in Switzerland the internet and WiFi was intermittent at best.  So my blog lagged terribly.  My intention was to write something everyday.  But, that didn’t turn out to be what happened!  In fact some of the stuff I thought got posted certainly is floating out there in cyberspace because it certainly did not end up in my blogosphere.

***Did you ever wonder where some of the things you worked on end up?  I mean, we have all worked at things on the computer only to have our work disappear.  Where in the hell did it go?  I guess that little man who lives in your computer has to play a few jokes on us now and then??  Or maybe we should have just clicked on the “Save” button every now and then?!?***

So, now I try to catch up on my writing.  But, I have to think back and try to remember some of the things that happened.  Truly, my mind isn’t what it used to be.  Imagine that!

All I know is being in Switzerland is a tremendous experience – one that you should find out about.  You are at the top of the world and it is just a lovely country with fantastic people.  Get there when you can (this is my “info”mercial for the Swiss Travel Guide)  But seriously you should go there if you have a chance.

But now that I am back to reality here in the US I have to prepare for a very interesting fall.  First off- It is going to be a great year at Moravian.  We have a solid and cohesive group of players returning.

In this bunch there are some outstanding leaders and they have helped the coaching staff mold a tough minded squad of players.  This is a group that knows what it takes to get the job done…..a collection of athletes that are willing to work hard and prepare each week through the grind of a long season.

It will truly be fun to watch them play as a bonded unit!

 

Today was the biggest part of “Sound Mind Sound Body – Europe” in the sense that all phases of the platform were put into play.

The combine aspect of our project went off flawlessly with Curtis doing what he does so well.  Organizing, directing…. but most importantly LEADING the young men through their events on the field.  This is one talented man (Although his sister Jasmine – probably misspelling her name AGAIN) is his North Star helping him through the operation.

The Coaching session with Terry and “yours truly” conducting or respective sides of the “lecture” went very well.  Obviously, the largest group of coaches attended his session! (Hmmm…go figure) Well, who wouldn’t – he is a gifted teacher and a great speaker.  But, the interaction on both sides was very good.

Curtis’ introduction of the “SMSB” reflected his usual smooth presentation. He detailed the history of the program from inception until where the platform is today.  He also showed how he could help athletes move forward in all phases of their lives. (That is why it is Sound Mind……. Sound Body!)

The afternoon featured coach and player training on the field with the visiting coaches working with the athletes following the lead of Curtis, Giorgio Volpi (Defensive Coordinator of Junior National Team of Switzerland) and Spencer Wood (Head Coach of Belgium Senior National Team).

Terry Copacia fired up his on-field teaching of his “All-State Quarterback School” (I think I will call it All State Quarterback School Europa!).

Since I was actually working (for once) I only was able to see a small portion of the QB training.  Although these players were extremely raw you could see the steady progress throughout the day.  (It was also great to see Richi Wartmann who started at QB in our National game against Germany last year in Amsterdam.  He journeyed from Winterthur with Jack Muntwyler one of our stellar defensive players on that team.)

 

Terry took the QB’s out for an extra session in the evening which is typical of his commitment to the passion he has for coaching QB’s.  One thing I can guarantee after working with him for thirty or so years – those raw QB’s he started with are a lot better than they starter – a whole lot better!

This camp kept getting better and better as Ricco Merola the Head Coach of the Torino  Giaguari (Torino Jaguars) gave a lecture on Special Teams and drills he uses.  Just and added benefit when you gather coaches together!

We concluded with the usual gathering of coaches in the local bar (actually in the complex itself.)  Hey, I didn’t ever have a beer!  (I know, hard to believe but it is true!)

Sunday will bring our first effort at Sound Mind Sound Body Europe to an end. We have a morning session which will include more QB training (hah! go figure –  I love it).  A talk by Giorgio Volpi and a film session for the players.

We will then wrap it up….say our good byes and head off to various places in the world!

Although we did not reach the number of players and coaches that we had hoped for this (ad)venture has succeeded on so many levels.  It also served as a learning experience for all of us.

 

Especially me!

There is no doubt that the players gained a great deal from the teaching sessions both on and off the fields.   I can only begin to wonder what could be if the teams in the SAFV would recognize what they could attain with what we attempted here in Tenero.

The coaches really benefitted from the Quarterback training Terry did.  It was tremendously obvious just from the conversations we had afterward.

With Curtis providing the platform, but also showing the importance of what the combine numbers reflect and how they can be used to help a player move on.

It seems that there is a disconnect between the league, the teams and key individuals in the entire web of Swiss football.  The rivalries and distrust are truly holding back the game of American football in Switzerland.

Oh well….as Chick Harris would say “We Do What We Do!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, we get nearer and nearer to the opening of our Sound Mind Sound Body Europe here in Switzerland.  The weather has been very warm, and we have seen a few evening thunderstorms.  The one a night ago was pretty rugged as it blew in across Lake Lugano.

 

As I mentioned earlier…. There has been a little disappointment in the limited numbers  that we attracted.  However maybe some of that is our naivety and our underestimating the power that the summer holiday in Europe has.  Or, perhaps there just not enough here is Switzerland or perhaps even Europe.  But, we are here and we will let it play out.

 

Our goal as a group was to try and break even this year.  It looks as if that might just happen if we can get a few walkup participants tonite and tomorrow.  I think the odds of gaining a few more are high.

 

The players who are here are going to get well treated and we will coach them the best we can.  I feel very confident in our instructors since we have several very talented coaches including two visiting coaches in Ricco Merola from the Jaguars of Turino, Italy and Spencer Wood the Head Coach of the Belgian Junior National team.  We will also have several members of the coaching staff from the Swiss National team visiting with us.

 

With Terry Copacia running the “European” version of his All State Quarterback School here in Tenero anyone who wants to learn how to throw the ball better will have that chance.  He is a fantastic teacher and a great communicator.  It will be fun to watch the improvement of these young men learning this difficult position.

 

Another outstanding benefit of this camp is the amount of gear the players will be receiving thanks to the generosity of Curtis Blackman the founder of Sound Mind Sound Body and the leader of our new venture here in Switzerland. It really is amazing what these guys will walk away with!

 

We will make our way over to the facility and begin the setup early this afternoon.  I am sure there will be a few glitches along the way.  But, I feel confident our group will smooth out all of the rough spots as they pop up.

 

It was interesting spending time with Spencer Wood of the Belgian National squad.  He is an American who has spent a lot of time in Europe.  A native Californian who has played and coached at various places in Europe – he brings a great deal of knowledge about the European football landscape.  This is something that we were looking for when we connected with him.

 

Spencer is also a very bright young coach who has a very good handle of things from an offensive point of view.  He and Terry spent a long time discussing QB play and offensive philosophy yesterday.  We are glad that he decided to come to Tenero because he will be a tremendous asset to our program this weekend.

 

Another fantastic addition to this weekend’s program will be Curtis’ sister Jazmine (probably misspelling her name). She is a former basketball star and now a coach.  She is responsible for keeping Curtis in line and she has been doing a great job of that.

 

But, she will obviously be invaluable as she knows what Curtis needs. His part is a critical link to this venture.  I really believe that he will be able to expand his network and increase his strength in the US through this exposure.  His willingness and business savvy has opened my eyes up to how little I know about how to run a successful enterprise.  (He has also taught me that I have no business being in business!)

 

What I am going to do is stay out of the way and let these guys do the things they do so well!

Well, we picked up Curtis and his sister Jasmine at the small airport in Lugano. We now have our full contingent together.  Although we are looking forward with meeting up with Spencer Wood from Belgium tomorrow morning in Milan.

Spencer is going to help us with our first effort.  Despite his youth his experience is pretty extensive in regards to the European version of American football.  He is currently the Head Coach of the Senior National team in Brussels, Belgium.  He also is a key member of “The Growth of a Game” which is based in Brussels.

We are going to trade off his help with our venture then I will help him in Lucerne, Switzerland in October.  Just give me an excuse to come back to Switzerland again.  Not that I need an excuse.

We took a trip to the Sports Center in Tenero after we left the airfield. It was better than advertised. What a tremendous combination of athletic fields, swimming pools, tennis courts and several gymnasiums.  There is also a cafeteria and several meeting rooms with all the latest multimedia.

Add in a beach on a beautiful lake with several beach volleyball areas marked off.  A full track with all the various pits and throwing areas.  They also have a 100 meter track on grass that is marked off in eight lanes.  (Fulgenzio tells me that it is the latest thing in track and field!?!)  Never heard of it.

This is a sprawling complex covering several square miles which is directed by the Swiss government.  (There are also another two places like this in Switzerland.)  I guess one is for Olympic sports and the other is for elite athletes.  Man what a set up….the only thing that I can compare it to is a major college campus and its athletic complex.

Most major schools have great complexes as we all know and this can compare to any of them – with this exception – Tenero has no gigantic stadiums or basketball courts.  But for training sessions forget it, we don’t have anything comparable.

Oh, bye the way it does have a bar…..imagine that??!!