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??!!