Month: May 2021

Early Trip to Basel

Today we open the season with a trip to Basel to play the Gladiators.  From what I

understand it is about a two-hour bus ride.  From what I am seeing this should be a good test for our team.  The game should be a solid measurement of what type of squad we have and what we need to work on to improve for the future.

Basel is located in northwestern Switzerland along the River Rhine and the city is on the French and German Border.  It is the third largest city in Switzerland (following Zurich and Geneva) with a population of around 200,000.

The city has forty or so museums – which makes this area one of the largest cultural areas per capita in all or Europe.  Basel is home to Kuntsmuseum which was the first collection of art in the world (1661) and the largest museum of art in Switzerland.  Also located there are the Foundation Beyeler and the Museum of Contemporary Art (Basel).

Obviously, this place is noted for its great devotion to the arts.  Well, I am not sure if football is considered art.  So at some point I will have to make a trip on my own to take a look at the place.  Well hell I was an art major right … well I guess Liberal Arts major might be actually what I was – probably not art major I guess.

But, then I hear that there is this great thing called the Basler Fascnacht.  Apparently, this is a pretty wild three day affair that starts early in the morning of the Monday following Ash Wednesday with masked revelers and musicians parading through old town.  Sounds like a winner to me.

Speaking of Holidays it sounds like Christmas is well celebrated as well!  Many Christmas trees line the streets with the large market especially popular during the Holiday season.

Also, it sounds like there are other great buildings such as the Town Hall (Rathaus) and the Basel Cathedral which looks out over the Rhine from the Pfalz (a terrace).

Sounds like it may be worth visiting to me!

I owe the Tigers!  Here’s why.

So, I got an email from a good friend of mine and he asked if all I do is have fun while I am here in Switzerland.  Well, it’s a pretty damn obvious answer if you ask me.  Yes, all I do is have fun –  that’s my job!  However – there are many different definitions of fun.

First off – football has been fun to me since I started playing when I was ten years old or so.  (Remember many years ago Garrett Morris on Saturday Night Live saying “Baseball been berry, berry good to me!?  Just insert football for me.)  Hell, it’s a tremendous game and it teaches so many great lessons you will use all through life.  There isn’t a single day that goes by where something I learned from the game cannot be applied.

Now, I will grant you that it can be a grueling job at times.  In the NFL a normal work week during the season will often exceed ninety hours.  We use to laugh and say if you weren’t at 40 hours by Wednesday you were cutting corners and cheating the club.

I have had people look at me like I had three heads when I would tell them the length pof the  normal season work week.  It really is that way – but every day is just a little different than the last one and it keeps things from getting to be a drag.  I think they believe we fool around for a few hours a day, show up on Sunday roll out the ball and play.  Nah … not so fast Batman!

Anyway, that type of schedule will never happen overseas because the game has to be approached differently.  The players work all day – or the younger guys have school – they are not professional athletes!  Having a job is one thing but then there are obviously family obligations as well.  The game is their hobby (think slow pitch softball in the USA – but with helmets and shoulder pads!)

By the same token I have to take my own coaching with a different focus.  Since I basically am on my own – no meetings, film sessions and prep time with other coaches – well, it requires me to be disciplined (yeah, I know being structured is hard for me as you all know.)  But, it is the least I can do for my friends who are doing so much to insure my stay is worthwhile.

I owe the Tigers and I feel I owe the people who have went out of their way to get me back to my second homeland!

So, every day I make sure that I am working on something of value for the Tigers.  Honestly, I feel that I owe the Tigers them a great deal.  I get to coach (which is fun) and then live in one of the best places in the world (even more fun)!

The NFL, major college – hell all of college football has become pretty much a job for those involved.  I’m not sure we haven’t turned HS football into a grinder as well.  It truly has gotten   out of hand if you ask me.

Teams have dedicated times for meetings, practice and training sessions.  There is no way that can happen here in Switzerland (or Europe for that matter) because no one – including the coaches – is getting compensated to play for or train the team.

We have to approach the game and its structure differently in Europe.  It’s serious, but the players have to keep it all in perspective in regards to their everyday obligations.  Sometimes the realities of life collide with the game of football for the players and coaches.

Pretty much all of the teams practice just twice a week and then play a game on the weekend.  Therefore, practices last three hours at times.  Well, to make up for the fact that you are only practicing twice they have to be long sessions.

Let’s add this into the mix.  What if you have to work overtime, or have a family situation and practice has to be put on the back burner.  The team already has a limited roster – now imagine if two guys who play the same position can’t make practice.

It happens – actually I have talked to coaches in Europe who told me that there are times they haven’t been able to line up an offensive line or defensive line because of players having problems getting to practice.

So, what do you do?  You adjust and make it work.  The coaches and players figure it out and adapt.  You still have to coach your guys and prepare them for a game.

You have to find a way to make it work – the game is still going to show up on the weekend!  Fortunately, every team pretty much faces the same set of problems.  So, everything becomes relative.

I love how these guys just figure out how to make everything work.  Guess what …  if it is pouring rain or it is snowing – you are still practicing because you only have those two days to get your work done!  I am not kidding you.

Again, this is not the NFL – this is a game that these guys just love to play and they built a club around it to support them.  Consider this – what if Pete Carrol or Bill Belichick ever had to practice without the left side of his offensive or defensive line at practice because the players who man those positions had to go home to a birthday party or to fix a leaky faucet??   Hmmm, I doubt it.

But, that is part of the reality here.

Another factor is – how do you make it fun?  Or better yet how do you make it fun and still field a competitive team?  Yes, this can be a problem at times because the players on the team – first they buy all their equipment!  Yes, helmets, pads, shoes – everything.  Then they have to pay a license fee.  So really, they are paying to play the game.

So, as a coach there is delicate line that you straddle.  We want to coach them properly and try to be firm, yet you have to realize that in reality the players control the team – and rightly so because they are the ones paying out their own real money.

I mean, I get it.  But, after growing up and being part of organized sports in the US as well, it is just something that gets some getting used to.  I really do think it has made me become more thoughtful in my approach to the game and the appreciation of the players.

How can you not really admire these guys?  The team works and practice hard rain or shine and they enjoy being around the each other as well.  They really do. (I’ve watched them drink beer together so I can tell!  Hey, I am a professional I know about beer.)  So, I feel the least I can do is reciprocate the effort and try to help them in any way that I can.

I owe the Tigers … I truly do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK, was privileged to work with the U-19 Thun Tiger team on Wednesday night. I can’t begin to tell you how much fun it was to be back out on the field with a team. Finally!

Yeah it was raining – But just an on and off drizzle. Hopefully it will be clearing up in the next few days. Ah hell, I can take it!

What a great bunch of energetic young men. Not many people in the states realize that all of these guys buy their own equipment and also have to pay for a license to be allowed to play football.

Yes, they PAY to play their sport. Plus, they come from all over the area to get to practice. They take busses, get rides – sometimes trains just to practice.

There are no school sponsored sports in most, if not all of Europe. Everything is club oriented. That includes soccer, hockey, basketball etc.

Therefore you don’t play for dear old Northampton High School – home of the Konkrete Kids (see how I neatly worked our nickname in there???) You play for perhaps the Norhampton AA, Hokey Eagles or Fullerton Ramblers. Honestly an interesting set up.

These guys and their coaches are truly committed to playing and also working on football!

Speaking of coaches …what a fantastic group. Most have played for the club years earlier and then we also have some expats who lend a had as well. But, they are there because they love working with the kids and also being around the game.

By the way the practice area and the stadium – well you can see what it looks like. Just awesome. I know there won’t be fans early on …also that is the stadium for FC Thun soccer club and that is why it has 10000 seats. My guess we will get a small fraction of that for our games. But …. who cares still a great place to play!

Get back to practicing again on Friday! I’m excited to do it!

Many of you know I was a slow pitch softball guy (a star I might add …well, OK maybe not!) But the one of the best parts of playing slow pitch was the after the game when we sat around and analyzed our effort, who made mistakes, hit well or poorly and then assigned the blame to someone if we lost – which wasn’t often. HAH!

An intensely critical time for us all (think gnashing of teeth and pulling hair out) …. well, maybe not so tough because we did it over pitchers of beer! In fact I don’t think we ever talked about the game or worried about who did what – just who was paying for the next pitcher off beer!

So after practice last night all the coaches stood out around Coach Arne’s car in the parking lot drinking beer.  No bitching, no complaining – just camaraderie.  Simply awesome!

Yup – football is back and again things are becoming normal … as John Steinbeck wrote in “Cannery Row” “Once more the world was spinning in greased grooves.”

 

 

The other day was quite busy taking care of clerical work for the city of Thun.  Hey …. I don’t want to get deported!  Much was accomplished – and thankfully my friend Dan Frey was able to help me get many things squared away.  Well actually let’s say, he got things fixed up for me as I stood around and listened to him talk to various officials.

Me …. I can barely speak English …. But everyone in Switzerland pretty much speaks it with fluency and confidence.  An amazing fact is that the Swiss generally all speak and understand Italian, French and “Swiss” German due to the way their country is situated.  Now to that add some English – yup, these people are smart.

Sure, I could have gone to the Thun City Building and filled out my registration and gone on to get a travel pass at the SBB train station and worked my way through it.  But my friend Dan Frey insisted (and I mean “insisted”) on helping me.  He took a day off from work and graciously spent his whole afternoon in clearing the way for me.

There is no doubt that without him it would have been a very long day.  With this area being primarily German it was so helpful to have someone who spoke Swiss German to quickly answer questions in his native tongue and then be able to explain things to me.

As I have mentioned before – athletics draw like-minded people together and also develops strong bonds of friendship.  This is true everywhere.  But, it just seems like it is even more evident with my friends in this beautiful country.

Most everyone knows that I love the game of football.  But, really it is the people you meet along the way that make it special.  Until last Saturday Dan and I had only communicated through email, “Whatsapp,” Skype, or Zoom.

Obviously, that changed with my landing in Zurich on Saturday morning.  Where Dan insisted (there is that word “insisted” again) he drive two hours to pick me up.  Honestly, I could easily have gotten on the train to Thun through Bern.  I have actually done that a few times over the years.

But no – he “INSISTED” that he pick me up and then turn around and drive another two hours home.

I can already see that Dan and I will remain friends until the end.  What an unselfish person.  Making sure I was picked up at the airport – got to my apartment and then quickly over to the Thun Tiger’s first of two practices for the day.

Then following our second rainy practice of the day he took me to his home in the countryside where his wife Monika made a wonderful dinner for us.  She said it was pretty easy – but there is no way it was.

By the way he “INSISTED” I had to go to his home for dinner!

Bacon wrapped chicken breasts with a béarnaise sauce along with potatoes.  For dessert – she made a special Italian dish with some type of chilled creamy – well I wish I knew what it was –topped with warm fruit. Absolutely wonderful.  (Think cheesecake like but almost a firm yogurt – ah hell just indescribably delicious!)

Lone thing about that fabulous meal –  there was no way that he had to “INSIST” that I love it!  That was pretty damn easy.

From there – finally home to my new apartment after my long flight and double practice day!  Pretty much worn out by the end of that second day!

Here’s a few interesting facts about Switzerland:

• As of August, 2020 the cost per semester at the University of Geneva (pretty good school) is 500 CHF (Swiss Francs) per year. Well let’s see I guess that adds up to 1000 CHF per year!  Remember I told you the people basically speak four languages before they even get to college.
• There around 7000 lakes in Switzerland!
• Switzerland has one of the highest rates of gun ownership the world. But, nearly half the gun related deaths as the US.  Swiss crime rate is one of the lowest in the world.
• • Remember they have mandatory military service and after they serve their one year they HAVE to take their weapons home with them!
  • Average salary in Switzerland is above 100,000 CHF per year. Renting a 3-Bedroom apartment is around 2,300 CHF per year. 
  • Unemployment rate is 4.8%.
  • The Gotthard Base Tunnel is the longest in the world. Took 17 years to build and allows trains to go through the Alps in a straight line.  Hey, I have taken that train from Ticino to Lucern and it is truly impressive!

OK, I know you might think I am a font of knowledge.  Well not so fast … it’s amazing what you can find on Wikipedia!

Off to practice we go!

Well, hell it never rains in Switzerland …. so what is going on here?  It is actually raining right now!  Actually, I’ve been snowed on once a few years ago while leaving Bern (that’s the capitol of Switzerland by the way for you non-geography … or is it geology? Majors).  But rain – I think it might have sprinkled once or twice in my several visits.

There aren’t any domed stadiums around these parts that I know of.  So, we’re going to get wet out there at practice.  But, just feel pretty fortunate that I am able to get out on the field and watch some players get to work.

The under-19 Thun Tigers are the defending champions of the Swiss American Football Verband (Association).  Last year they were an athletic and deeply talented team that was able to sweep through the league and win it all.  Unfortunately for the Tigers they lost several key players as they crossed the 19 year-old threshold.

Big Danny Antolovich – who truly is gigantic even by US standards (6-6 300+) will attend the University of Connecticut to play football, QB Bay Harvey will move on to Johns Hopkins to compete for the Baltimore school this fall.  These critical losses coupled with many other players moving up to the senior team open a lot of holes in the Tiger’s line-up.

But, that is the way it is.  As a team, you have to make adjustments and continue to move forward.  Unfortunately, in Europe – and Switzerland in particular – It is hard to reload.  Where in the US there are always young players fighting to get noticed – since most teams are local clubs many smaller towns have trouble finding replacements.

Often, it is not the lack of talent in players that gets you in trouble overseas – but, it is just sometimes just the inability to gather enough core players to provide depth.  So, you might have a team that has gifted players, but due to the fact they often cannot get some rest at points of the game – they can wear out.

But like my old friend Frank Gansz used to say.  “No one said it was going to be easy … and no one said it was going to be fair!”

One thing about the entire Thun Tiger organization from the top to the bottom – it is filled with capable people.  Men and women who are committed to helping the young men on the squad.  I am honored and humbled that they invited me to be a small part of their organization.

It was a great weekend where I was able to reunite with my friends Stephan Pulver and Daniel GyGax of the “Erste Mannschaft” or First Team.  Stephan is the head coach who was a fine player and has established himself as a very strong leader of the older players of the team.

Daniel has coached many positions and currently is working with the running backs.  Interestingly I am living on the bottom floor of his father – Ruedi’s – house outside of Thun.  What a fantastic place ax well.

The coaches of the Junior (U-19) squad are also outstanding.  Head coach Arne Denecke has brought great success to the younger squad – the combination of his defensive knowledge and the great expertise of Christian Warzecha the offensive coordinator makes a very strong pairing to lead the team.

As we move forward you grow to understand what a great group the Tigers have.  But even great leadership you need a solid foundation of assistants to move forward.  It will become evident who these coaches are as we move forward over the next several months.

I just feel lucky to have a chance to be a part of such a grounded staff.

A few things about the City of Thun:

First off, it is a beautiful place.  But, since it has been raining – well, have to get some better pictures for later on.  However, eventually you will get to see some excellent shots.  After all – I have six months to get them to you.

Thun is located along the Aare River as it flows out of Lake Thun (Lake Thun is also known as the Thunersee – yeah look it up!)  As the river leaves the lake the 45,000 residents – 80,000 in the entire region rises around the water.

Aside from being a great place with really nice people Thun has its own castle (Amazingly called Thun Castle!)  OK there are a lot of castles in Switzerland.  More than 500 castles and forts throughout the country!That might seem like a lot … but remember Germany has over 20,000!  For us people in the states (do we even have any?) it is amazing.

 

I would recommend seeing one to anyone!

You have to admit, I do have it made being able to see this great place!

 

 

 

Well, off we go!  The boss (wife) dropped me off at Detroit Metro Airport and the new (mis)adventure in football begins!   I start on my first leg of the journey to Zurich, Switzerland.

From here in Michigan I make a jump to DC and then the jaunt across the Atlantic and into the Alps.  Of course, the weather in the Detroit area is absolutely beautiful as I am getting ready to leave – but I’ll take my chances on it being equally as great in Switzerland.

Most of you know that I have been to Switzerland many times and consider it my second homeland …. What a beautiful and scenic place without a doubt.  But really, it’s the people who make it – everyone is friendly and welcoming.

Once I touch down at the Zurich airport (In this day and age shouldn’t they be called “jet” ports …. Really airports??   …Really??)  Well anyway it is a fantastic airport that is surrounded by mountains.  Very stunning place.

Let me start that over …. Once I touch down my friend Dan will pick me up at the airport and get us to Thun (The ‘h” is  silent) which will be my new hometown for the next six months.  He has been the President of the Thun Tigers football team.

In case you didn’t know it – they do play American Football all over Europe.

Well, that’s why I am going there after all!  What a fantastic opportunity for me to work with our great game and continue to learn more about the game and how it is played in Europe.  It’s the same but different.

Yes, it’s the same game we play in the US – the kind with eleven guys on a team – with a brown prolate spheroid called the “ball.”  Basically, the same rules all apply.  American football is very popular overseas.  For the most part almost every country has a league with many teams.

There is a very interesting web site – American Football International – that explains and publicizes the game throughout the world (not just Europe by the way).  My good friend Roger Kelly manages the publication and he has article and information about football.  He does a fantastic job just spreading the word everywhere.  Seriously check it out – American Football International!

In Switzerland the football league is called the SAFV – Schweizerische American Football Verband (Swiss American Football Verband  – think Saahhvv).   This year there will be six teams in the “A” league.

The Thun Tigers, who I will help coach, plays in the “B” league.  They field teams in the Senior League (20+), The U-19 league, U-16 league and they also play flag football.  It is a well-run organization and the coaches are all committed to developing the players and helping them to be successful as a team.

As this season progresses they will all become a big part of this blog.   After all you will certainly get tired of listening to me just rattle on several times a week.

Wait till you see the pictures of this place!

Alright we are off and running!

A few things about Switzerland itself:

• Capital of Switzerland is Bern – many people think it is Zurich.
• If Switzerland was a state it would be the 42^nd largest state at 15,940 Square miles – a spot ahead of Maryland at 12,407.
• Population of Switzerland as of 2021 is 8.5 million.
  • It would be 13^th as a state if part of the USA – ranked between New Jersey and Virgonmoia.
• Switzerland’s three largest cities as of 12:31:21, 2020:
  • Zurich (421,712)
  • Geneva (203,736)
  • Basel (173,775)
• 48 of Switzerland’s mountains are higher than 13,000 feet above sea level.
  • Monte Rosa 15,000+ is the highest.
  • Matterhorn (14,692)
  • Jungfrau (13,642)
  • Eiger (Think Clint Eastwood and the “Eiger Sanction”
• There are four major languages spoken:
  • German
  • French
  • Italian
  • Romansh (based on Latin from the Holy Roman Empire)
  • Birthplace of the Red Cross.
• Maintain an “armed neutrality.”
  • Have not fought in an international war since 1815.
  • The country man’s the “Swiss Guards of the Vatican.
  • All males are conscripted into the military at age 18.
    • They are required to serve for a year.
    • Two thirds of “drafted” actually serve. Those who cannot become part of some other alternative service.
    • Women can serve, but are not required to do so.
  • All soldiers are required to keep their weapons at home when they leave the service.
    • Switzerland is a neutral but very well armed country.
  • According to Quacquarelli Symonds hotel university rankings – 8 of 10 of the best hotel schools are located in Switzerland.
  • In Sports world – Headquarters for:
    • FIFA (Soccer)
    • International Olympic Committee
    • IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation)
    • Court of International Sport
    • Also everyone has heard of tennis greats Roger Federer, Martina Hingis and Stan Wawrinka.

Oh – so know you know I am smart!   Well not so fast Batman – most of this is from Wikipedia.  Well, I did arrange it in a list type format.