I know you have been waiting to learn about the OODA loop.  Many of you have been thinking about bringing this up to me…I just know it.  OK, maybe not.  But this is something I learned many years ago and it actually came up in a conversation I had just yesterday (Sunday).

I have mentioned my late friend Frank Gansz who was one of the most inspiring and knowledgeable coaches (people) I know.  Frank was one of the original Special Teams coaches and to this day acknowledged as one of the best coaches in the NFL.

Frank taught me many things about the great game of football – but in his own way he taught me about the OODA loop.

The OODA loop is something that everyone can use in day to day life.  (Actually you may already use it and not even know why or what it is). It is especially effective when utilized in high stress decision making situations.  Trust me it is very effective.

OODA stands for Observe, Orient, Decide and Act.  It was a system developed by a USAF Colonel – John Boyd.  Now John Boyd should have  attained a rank of higher than Colonel, but apparently he just could not get along with his superiors.

He must have been a stubborn guy who stood by his work and his assumptions.  This got him crosswise with leadership and  put Colonel Boyd on the “shit list” with many higher ups.  He was known as the “Mad Major,” and “Genghis John” due to his strong stances about warfare in the sky.

None-the-less his theories are used throughout the world today.  Colonel Boyd had a dramatic impact on aerial warfare and he is credited with helping to develop a critical part of the plan for the invasion of Iraq during the 1991 Desert Storm.

The OODA loop is a practical theory that allows for rapid and accurate decision making when time and clear thinking is imperative e.  Naturally this can be applied to athletics and football in particular.

Here is the way it works in a picture:

But in real life (Football??) It applies to everything we do – from studying the game video – to teaching the players to the actual execution by the players on the field!

Just think of video study by coaches.:

You OBSERVE (watch) the video….then you ORIENT (develop your thoughts for a game plan from your observations)…then you DECIDE (actually formulate your plan of action from those thoughts)….then you ACT (You create the plan and implement it with your team from those decisions).

Now, think of it as a player who has been through a week of game plan meetings and practice.  You have experienced all of those things mentioned above in the OODA loop as a student in the classroom of football.

Now, you are playing the game against the opponent you have studied all week.  You are a Safety (that is a defensive position for some of my friends who aren’t interested in football)….the other team comes out in a certain formation:

You OBSERVE (see this specific formation). You ORIENT (this formation triggers the key points you learned through video observation, coaching meetings and practice sessions during the week).  You DECIDE (take an alignment you learned during the practice sessions to counter this alignment – perhaps you make a specific “Call” to adjust your teammates positioning or assignments as you have been instructed by the coaches).  Then the ball is snapped and you ACT (you execute your assignment as you were taught during the week of practice).

Then you clear your mind (another great technique to learn as an athlete) and start over as you prepare for the next play.

https://youtu.be/aXrpmN6hHqc

This is how the OODA loop works.  Perhaps you know it by another acronym or you just do it in your daily life.  But – like a hammer, wrench or saw – it is a valuable to keep it in your toolbox.

Colonel Boyd took this further however.  He added that the fighter pilots who could do cycle thru the loop the fastest were destined to be the best warriors.

So, the more you you work on the OODA cycle the better you become at your profession (real life as well I guess).  The more you can Observe in your realm – whatever that may be.  will allow you to Orient yourself faster.  This in turn spurs a quicker Decision and then a faster and more effective Act.

If you think about it…this is what we are trying to do on every play.  The team that executes their fundamentals the fastest in the heat of the battle…well that is the team that is successful!

Alright maybe you weren’t interested in the OODA loop – but you have to admit it is some pretty cool stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are a lot of things that you take away from games – win or lose.   Many great teaching moments present themselves.  As a coach (players as well I expect) first you must get the bitter taste of losing out of your mouth.

After you get past that disappointment you can dig thru the video and review your notes to find things to help your team improve.  That is what makes coaching such a great profession – you are always searching for better ideas and techniques to give to your guys.

Oh yeah – sometimes you can overthink things as well. See things that really aren’t there.

From the outside looking in – it may seem like there is so much futility when teams are struggling as the Hounds are right now.  There is obviously frustration to contend with, but when you have a group like we have right now – it is different.

Our guys are very resilient and they quickly rebound.  Believe me no one is happy with our record at this point….but there is a lot of trust within our brotherhood.  As coaches we believe in the troops – we know that before this group is finished they will achieve some really great things.  I think that the guys are understanding this as well.

The players are willing to work and learn new concepts –  and each week we make progress as a football team.  I think that it is just a matter of time until we see the results on the field.

Interestingly, I ran into two former players who saw us play at Kings and then again this weekend at Homecoming.  They both agreed that although we have a ways to go – the team is much better right now.

Obviously it is good to hear this from guys who have worked within our system and know how we approach football.  They have lived it with us and they have achieved success as Hounds.  Their input is very valuable to a person like me because they are honest to a fault.

They don’t need to hold back because we have walked on the field and thru the locker room together.  We are connected and understand that truth is one of our core values and sometimes it might hurt….but to improve and achieve excellence we have to be clear.

So – as a team we continue to hammer away to build a  better Greyhound unit.  Like every week for the past many years on Sunday we go through our post game routine.

Coaches get together and review the video – then compare notes and brainstorm on how we can manage the next week.  It is a grinding process that allows us to lay previous game out to the bare bones.  You have to check your ego at the door because we have to be completely honest in our evaluations.

This can be an uncomfortable process.  But to improve in almost any business or profession you understand that getting out of your comfort zone allows for growth.  Anyway that is how we start every Sunday win or lose….it is what you do as coaches.  (By the way it is a long day – but it is what we do – and yeah it is pretty much done all across the country by football staffs everywhere…..we aren’t the only ones doing it.)

The players first go to the trainers and have a medical review – this is so we can find out how we made it thru the game.  How are the injured players from the day before?   Also – have any of the bumps and bruises that seemed minor after the game blossomed into problems?

Then….we meet with the players and watch the special teams – usually a half hour or so.  Then the players go to the weight room with Coach Long and get the  kinks out.

Now Coach Long is one fired up guy…….  He is going to get the guys going……he is going to push them – work them – encourage them etc.  Tom is going to get every last drop out of them.  The players really respond to him.  What happens in the weight room will be a big key in our future as a team.

After that we have group meetings with our players.  For instance Jim Newhard takes the defensive line, John Harrison will meet with the QB’s,  Chris Leavenworth grabs the offensive line (for fu**ks sakes).  Those meetings are where you really get things squared away.

Corrections are made….notes are taken….egos may be bruised.  But, we all come out of these meetings better prepared for the next week’s game.  It can be intense, but it is really a very cleansing and enlightening experience  because you walk out of the meeting knowing that you have put the previous days game to rest.  Time to move on to the next game.

That’s where we are now….moving on the the next week.

Go HOUNDS!

Nic visiting with many former players and friends for the Homecoming weekend.  Always a good experience for everyone involved.  I can vouch for the troops having a few beers.

Although I couldn’t join them at Roosevelt’s across from the stadium – I’m sure a good time was had by one and all!

 

 

 

 

Homecoming!

Big weekend for any school – high school or college.  Always a fun time as alums come back to visit with old friends and relive their glory days.   The waistlines expand, hair either goes away or grays,  stories get more colorful,  tales get taller (get it – “tall tales.”). Hangovers hurt a little more etc….etc.

Usually the date is later in the fall.    Personally I have never seen a Homecoming date in September – but what do I know?!?   But, for whoever (whomever?)  is  in charge here at Moravian they felt an early date is the best – probable interfered with their vacation days.

Well, the trees won’t be a colorful and there won’t be need for a blanket or a flask in your pocket.  OK the flask is still permissible!

I am looking forward to seeing some of the troops from the past.  Always nice to visit with the guys you have spent so much time and shared so many experiences with.  It is going to be a nice weekend on the Bethlehem campus.

Ursinus will be our opponent for this weekend.  They enter the game with a 3-0 record following a back and forth game with Juniata last weekend.  This is the first time in many years where they have started off with three straight victories.

The Bears are a very solid team with one of the better QB’s in  the Centennial Conference – sophomore Thomas Garlic.  He is a big (6-4, 195) strong armed thrower – completing 60.6% of his passes with four TD’s and a pair of interceptions..

Their top runner is sophomore Stacey Gardner (70 ATT. 406 YDS and 3 TD) and he has a 57 yard scoring run to his credit.   The QB does a good job of spreading the ball around to his receivers and he  has hit junior  running back Asa Manley with 11 passes and senior WR Carmen Fortino with 7 (he has a 20.1 yard per catch with 2 TD’s)

Averaging 35 points per game the Ursinus offense as been pretty steady but  their defense has been very opportunistic.  They have created eight turnovers over their first three games while giving up just one per game.  The Bears’ +5 margin leads the Centennial.

These turnovers have been very instrumental in each of their wins.  Stopping a drive inside the 10 at the end of the Juniata game with an interception by Danny Freeman.  In the Gettysburg game Tyler Gordon had an interception to stop a potential scoring drive early in the game.

So, as always we are preparing for a physical game.  Defensively we will stress our fundamentals such as tackling and having hard pursuit to the ball.  Nothing new for the Hounds, but we cannot take anything for granted – need to emphasize it and practice it so that it happens in the game.

I really felt our practices were spirited and we got a lot done.  Since I spend so much time really impressed with how some of our younger guys (whoops – they are all really young guys out there this year – hell do we even have a senior?) ran around.

Offensively our offensive line will take on a heavy load as we continue to improve up front.  Our young group (Tackles Zach Cregar, Jason Barish and Tyler Maxsim, Guards PJ Weierbach and Matt Shields, Center Brett Poling) has to counter the Ursinus front seven that has been up and down this season.

The Moravian future is bright since all of those guys are sophomores except for PJ who is a freshman.  They continue to improve each week with Chris Leavenworth working with them – we all know he won’t put up with any shenanigans out there.

We have been pretty effective over the season, but the stress this week will be on consistency and maintaining ball possession.  So these big guys will shoulder much of the load.

Every game is important and this will be another test for our young bunch as we continue to grow as a team.    They really are a great bunch of guys who show so much promise.  I keep reiterating that the future is bright – it really is.

Wasn’t there a song in the 80’s – My future is so bright I wear sunglasses at night?

Well I was kinda close.  You millennials and whatever is next have no idea about good music.

Oh yeah shot up to Northampton and the Hungarian Hall Thursday nite…..the dart league (A-League) kicked off – or shot off  guess.  Captain Saturn on a new team.  Looking for a new championship ring.  Old crew looks great.

Andy Onkotz still running a tight ship in the old hometown hangout – need some more members.  Cannot go wrong for 15 dollars a year!

OK many people ask Hungarian Hall???  Well much of Northampton’s heritage (Moravian guys – there’s that work “Heritage” again) is from Eastern Europe – Czechoslovakia (Czech Republic or Slovenia), Russia, Germany, Poland, Austria and of course Hungary.

The home church right behind the Hungarian Hall – well of course “Our Lady of Hungary Roman Catholic Church!”

GO KONKRETE KIDS!
GO HOUNDS!

Tuesday as Coach Puksyzn talked with the team after practice he spoke about taking care of your business as a football player.  Like many other things football parallels life off the field.

We had several players who skipped their obligations as far as doing their weekly weight lifting.  This is a vital part of our program.  To maintain strength during the season is imperative for safety and success.

Plus we have one of the best strength programs in the country headed up by Tom Long with his interns Amanda and Laurie.  These guys are in our complex by 5:00 or 5:30 am every weekday and often here after 7 or 8 at night.  Oh yeah here on the weekends as well.  You don’t see many cars in the faculty parking lot at these hours by the way.

Amazingly enough you can see a common thread here.  There were eight or nine of our 85 or so current players who decided it was just to difficult to do what their teammates could do.  (My father, the electrical engineer, would be proud to know that I figured this to be a little more than 10% of the team.)

I know – this is Division III athletics and no one is under scholarship.  But that doesn’t mean we don’t do the necessary things to develop a strong and successful program.

Right now we are playing with young and inexperienced players so it is essential that we develop championship habits. These are traits that will enable us to move forward and be successful on the field.  But, these are also the things that carry over into our lives off the field.

Now I’m not telling anyone anything earth shattering here- the guys who miss our “voluntary mandatory” work are the same guys who miss meetings (“Just can’t get out of bed – I’m not a morning person”)  Skip class although they tell you they are going (“Honest coach I was there”) – this is after an email where the prof alerted us to the absence.  Or missing weight lifting (It’s pointless..I don’t play that much anyway”) – yeah you’re  a senior and have been dodging everything for four years – can’t get on the field – imagine that!

Listen, with my outstanding 2.25 grade point average I don’t have a lot of thick ice to stand on here.  I was certainly a screw up that found his way (somewhat anyway) eventually.  I’m sure I was a handful.

But after years of working with young people you hope they can learn from experiences you can pass down to them.  It gives a coach tremendous satisfaction to see the players around him succeed in whatever they choose.  So, it is our obligation to have some conformity with the guys within the program.

But, what the seniors in this group of wayward football players will find out when (if) they graduate – the cruel cold world doesn’t care if you are not a morning person or if you had your latte with espresso shot to get your heart going.

To the underclassmen who are finding the easy way to their liking – just look at what that path has gotten those seniors mentioned above!?!

Coach also touched on the emphasis on doing the small things that are necessary to be successful on and off the field.  Paying attention to the details that are so vital to being not only a successful athlete or student but a productive member of our campus as well.

Hey…just do what you are supposed to do -go to class…..do your job on the field….. be a good teammate……don’t be late……don’t embarrass your family, yourself or the program.  Just to name a few.

He cited a quote from one of the best books you can read (“Legacy” by John Kerr) about successful organizations.  “Sweeping the Sheds” is a statement about how even the best players help clean the locker rooms after a practice or game.  No one is above doing the smallest and dirtiest jobs on or off the field.

This is a fantastic and easy read about how the New Zealand national rugby team – the “All Blacks” builds their organization and creates such a successful team on and off the field.  They have been World Cup champions several times and have won more than 85% of their International tests (games) over the past twenty or so years.

I have and would encourage everyone who is about team building to find a copy and give it a quick read.  I have spent time with one of their coaches and another of their associates and I will tell you this is an amazing bunch of people.

Many of you have seen the All Blacks perform the haka  before they play.  If you haven’t:

Trust me it is an unnerving display of testosterone used to fire up their team and intimidate the opponent.  I think this might a good exercise for a Zumba class!

So we will continue to build the Greyhound football program.  We will continue to help the athletes realize how much they can learn from a simple game.  Yup, we will get un their collective asses if they screw up as well!

GO HOUNDS!

Oh yeah how about some darts this week with Captain Saturn and the lads at the Hungarian Hall in Northampton this Thursday.  Seems like a great idea to me.

Perhaps a quick stop at Mario’s Pizza for a snack.  Yeah that does seem like a pretty good idea.

 

 

 

OK….we left Baltimore after a hard loss to John’s Hopkins.  But, we saw great effort throughout the game and we showed a great deal of toughness from beginning til end.  These are things that you can build on as a team.

We returned to Bethlehem thinking we did some things pretty well…..others not so much.  We knew that we made many mistakes…but  as long as we could see the effort we would feel pretty good.

Saturday evening after returning we would sit down and study the game videos.  It is the best way to learn about your team.

As expected we saw many things that we need to attend to.  But the mistakes – honestly they are certainly things we can repair.  Also two valuable things really stuck out.

Things we corrected last week – they were not repeated this week.  That is encouraging and this is truly what pleases you as a teacher.  Plus you could see the team hustling and on defense there was great pursuit to the ball.

So we are making some good progress.  Sometimes it is incremental.  But, none-the-less we are getting better every day.

The expression….”the film does not lie” …..is certainly true.  There are so many things you can learn with a few hours sitting at the computer watching video of a game.

As coaches we spend a lot of time studying film (video) because this is a key tool in our search for excellence.  Although illusive – excellence is attainable.

I have heard you look for perfection – but most successful people and organizations talk about excellence and not perfection.  Since perfection is impossible it is hard to use it as a goal.

To set a goal of being perfect may sound great on the outside….but the minute you fail (lose) –  well that goal is shot and you can throw it out the window.  Unfortunately in football half of the teams can eliminate perfection from their goal sheet after the first week of the season.

But, if you teach striving for excellence as we try to do – well that is attainable because you can always continue to fine tune your goals.  In coaching for instance there are goals you set for the season, and then goals you look at weekly for each game, and then goals for each day.  (That’s a lot of goals!)

When you look at your aspirations for a team you have to realize that every year that bunch of guys is different.  For instance our goals for the team a year ago were different than for this squad.

Our team last year was an experienced bunch so we could see them in a different light than the 2017 edition of the Greyhounds.  This year we have to approach the season differently since we have so many young players and have lost others thru attrition.

I have been in football since I was ten or so years old.  (Been awesome by the way.)  In that time I have never seen as many injuries as we have had this season.  We have actually lost eleven players to season ending injuries.

That is truly mind boggling.  Now, I am not complaining here.  That is the hand we were dealt and we all have to band together and make the best of it.  Again the phrase “No one said it was going to be easy….and no one said it was going to be fair” comes to mind.

But this situation, coupled with the fact that several key players – starters in a few cases – decided to leave the team before we even started puts us in a tough spot.  Some thought they needed to play more – others felt they needed to study more still others were concerned about injury.

Personally I get it,  you play for your own satisfaction here at Moravian.  We are not handing out football scholarships  – we are a Division III school.  But the irony here is this – the guys who wanted to play more.  Yup, several of them probably would have been starting or seen significant time  right now.

In all honestly I wouldn’t want our team to be any different.  I realize that we are 0-3 and people on the outside see us in one way.  But here “in the bunker” we see things as gradually building towards something special.

One thing we have is time….another is the energy and the will to become better.  These guys are a special bunch and the toughness that we are building now will play huge dividends in the future.

You should see these guys work together….this is a great bunch of teammates.  Awesome young men!

So the coaches put the game plan together today….adjusting schemes and play calls to work around our injuries…then we all  get back on that treadmill tomorrow and start working towards the game with Ursinus next week.

I did want to take a second and acknowledge the parents and friends of the troops.

Thanks for all of your support.  I love that you give so much to the guys.  Always there with food, encouragement and whatever it takes to bolster our confidence.

It’s not easy to just be a supporter when you don’t always agree with our coaching decisions and how we use personnel on game day.  But for the most part I only hear cheers for our program.

Trust me, it isn’t always easy to coach a football team.  (I think I’ll write more about this at another time!). But, we truly love these guys – they are a credit to you and how you raised them.

Seriously…thanks for all of your help family members and friends!

 

As we prepare  to play Johns Hopkins this weekend in Baltimore we stress the necessity for cohesion and teamwork.  Obviously two essential aspects of any sport played by a group of individuals working towards a common goal.

This is such a good group to work with – actually a great group.  We are very young and inexperienced – but there is talent that is developing.  I have said this before – when these guys are finished here at Moravian they will play on some very strong teams!

At this moment the situation  is hard but not impossible!  The fact is we have to go through our growing pains and each week will be a battle.  But, so what!  No one said it would be easy and certainly no one said it would be fair.

One of the most motivated people I know stopped by to visit the team on Wednesday.  Bobby McClarin, a Naval Academy graduate and founder of the Five Hearts Project gave us all a lot to think about.

Bobby’s Dad – Bob – coached with us here at Moravian College.  Another great man but decided to step away from coaching this year to  enjoy some time with his wife who just retired in June.  (Now he spends his time fooling around at his lake house and on his yacht on Lake Wallenpaupak – really, he would rather do that and drink beer than teach inside zone and pass protection to the running backs?   Go figure!)

*Don’t worry Bob will get back to coaching next year when Joan gets tired of ordering him around!  Seriously though it is pretty cool that they get to go yachting together every weekend!*

But it is easy to see that the “apple did not fall far from the tree.”  The entire McClarin clan is a remarkable bunch and with Bobby creating the Five Star Heart Project right here in the Lehigh Valley.  Our area is truly blessed to have this organization operating here.

Among other things this group puts on many activities to help this area’s youth.  Although he targets kids who are at risk….but if you know Bobby at all – he is there for everyone in the Valley.

When you get some time check out Five Star Heart Project and how it came about and all they do for us. (thefivestarheartproject.org)

Bobby’s talk to the team was straight from his heart (and it is a strong heart) and right on point for our young and inexperienced squad.  As coaches we all see this….but it is really fantastic to hear a notable man like Bobby voice it with such passion.

His comments stressed the value of being a great teammate and how as a unit we are truly the sum of our parts.  There will always be great players on a team….but great teams are made up by members who will give selflessly of themselves regardless of their abilities.

When you are talking about football as a team sport – you are talking about a brotherhood.  In a brotherhood you count on one another and believe that the man next to you will do anything in his power to help the group attain it’s goal.

It is the same as you proceed on down the line.  When you look to any of your teammates you know the same selflessness exists in each and every one.  Everyone pulls his weight and everyone is held to the same high standards.

We know that when the prize is on the line that we understand that the mindset is the same from man to man.  We are going to achieve a high level because we are all striving to operate at the maximum of our abilities throughout our brotherhood.

Bobby also stressed the need to develop “grit.”  Grit is more than just hanging in there – it is passion and perseverance over a long period of time.  Continuing to work to attain your goals knowing that you will stumble along the way.

Check this out if you want to learn about grit!

Understanding that you are going to fall down over and over again – but that the champions will keep getting up and figuring out how to succeed.  Success is not an overnight thing – the light just doesn’t come on one morning.

No, it takes many, many small steps.  Incremental gains towards our goals.  As I said it won’t be easy…nor will it always be fair. But we will stay with it and we will find a way to improve every day and in every game.

Our brotherhood – the Hounds – continues to work towards the goal of excellence.  Every day we strive for it….each day we fall down and then get back up again.  We slip – but we fix our mistakes and move forward.

I know these guys – and this is their mindset.  They have the grit and the staying power to build this program into a consistent winner. Some will walk away – quit and lose their beliefs.  Those who stay know it won’t be easy and there will be nay sayers at every turn.

But we don’t care what is going on the outside  – we just work to help each of our brothers become the best that they can become.  And, day after day we will develop this Greyhound Brotherhood into something special.

I can’t wait to see our guys line up and play this weekend – there will be mistakes.  But, I promise you we will grow a little more during this game.

GO HOUNDS!

 

Well, we had a tough outing against McDaniel this past weekend.  After an impressive goal line stand the Hounds  played an even first half at 14-14.  But McDaniel just had too much for the us in the last thirty minutes.

This was by far the best McDaniel team that I have seen in the five or six seasons associated with Moravian football.  They had a large contingency of seniors including several three-year starters.  That is really an important factor in football – well  experience in any business is key.

And on the other side of the coin – we are young and inexperienced in many key positions.  The only thing that will cure this situation is what I call “sun ups and sun downs” – or time.  And, what we get done during those “sun ups and sun downs” is what will develop this team.

You have to give them credit – McDaniel played a very solid game from the start til the final whistle.  They played hard and it was the physical game that we had anticipated from them.

We also played hard – we were both tough and had great enthusiasm.  But some very fundamental mistakes added up throughout the game.  Defensively these breakdowns are what keep drives alive and ultimately what allows scoring.

On offense obviously the converse is true.  Breakdowns are going to lead to the offense getting “behind on the chains.” (Commentators on TV love to say things like that). When you get behind  on the downs – well you have to force the issue at times.  That can lead to mistakes and sometimes put our inexperienced players in bad positions.

As pretty much everyone knows I am a “fundamentalist” when it comes to football.  If you cannot line up correctly, read your keys and accomplish your responsibilities – well some bad things are bound to happen.  Unfortunately we had too many to allow us to win.

Trust me, we have some very talented players at Moravian and eventually this is going to be a very competitive team.  But, first we must stay on our basics – blocking and tackling, throwing and catching, kicking and running etc.  These are the keys to having a successful team.

As coaches we understand that there is a learning curve when it comes to the process of absorbing our offensive and defensive  schemes.  That takes concentration and study.  Outsiders often do not understand the complexity of competing in team sports and the amount of work that a player puts in.  Hours in the meeting room coupled with more hours on the practice field and training in the weight room.

I once explained to my father – who is a very smart man and an electrical engineer – that I felt football may be the best taught subject in any school.  (And professional football is even more well taught because of the time available to work with the players).  He scoffed (how do you like that for a college word “scoffed”) at me.

    A Footnote here – my Dad still doesn’t believe that I graduated from college.  In reality I don’t have any proof since I did not attend my graduation.  No, they never sent me a diploma either.  Well too late now I am retired (semi that is!)

So I explained to him the very simple version of what goes on.  I did this when I was coaching with Detroit so my explanation was much more in depth than what follows.

But, for perhaps the only time in my lifetime, he eventually saw my point.  Just think how many hours a “normal” college class meets per week in college.  What a total of three hours – then maybe some have a two hour lab?  Piece of cake.

For football at Moravian we meet with our players Tuesday thru Thursday for an hour each time.  We teach and the players learn football.  Then we have two hour practices (I try to keep Jeff under that two hour time – but most of the times fail) four days per week.

We also give the players scouting reports and tip sheets throughout the week so that they can be prepared for the upcoming game.  Naturally like all students in any discipline – some are more diligent than others.  Some will really delve into the information while others just toss it in their locker with their dirty socks and jocks.

Then every Saturday for ten weeks we have a test – a game.

We “ask” our players to do this at Moravian.  Remember in division III there are no scholarships…the players do this because they want to play ball.  Well, occasionally we do try to help their “want to” by telling them that they are going to spend some time on the bench if they don’t follow thru on their”required tasks” here.

In the bigger (scholarship) schools the requirements and demands are much more intense.  The players spend much more time preparing to play football and the experts available to them are almost too many to count.

Professional football – well that is a whole different animal – as I tell people there is a reason they call it “professional”.

I really admire our guys.  They have a commitment to each other and really it is their accountability that makes it so much fun to work with these young guys.

Sure some work harder than others.  But for the most part the majority of our guys are extremely diligent and try to do the things we ask of them.

There are still going to be some frustrating times.  It is inevitable as we grow through this stage of our football development.  But there are great things on the horizon.

The things that I see in these guys makes me excited for the future here at Moravian.  Having players like this – guys who really care and want to succeed  – paints an exciting picture here in Bethlehem.

GO HOUNDS!

Being a defensive coach I do have to mention some really exciting things I did see on Saturday.  Think about these things.

A tremendous Goal Line stand right before halftime that kept us alive and shows us that things that we are working on are coming together.  It was an observation from the coaching booth and Jim Newhard, Shaun Daignault and Evan Harvey to set up a strong blitz that ended the scoring threat as the clock ran out.

Some really hard hitting from out secondary and safeties Nick Zambelli and Jackson Buskirk in particular.  Wow…some really great play going on back there.

Pursuit – hell – Foud Haddad and Nick Tone were running down plays all over the field.

Joe Milano gets back on the field and his aggressive play gets the team fired up.

These are just a few of the reasons why I am so excited about this team.

Yup…gotta get ready starting tomorrow for our next game – in Baltimore against the Johns Hopkins.

We are approaching the second week of the 2017 football season – preparing for a new and improved McDaniel College Green Terror.  They opened their season with a big 30-10 win at home last week.

This is a team that has shown improvement in their program over these past two seasons.  The Hounds are regrouping and preparing for a tough battle this weekend.

***But, what the heck is a “Green Terror?”  Well, we will deal with  that later.***

On offense McDaniel wants to play a physical game…so we have to be prepared to stop their running game.  We will concentrate on shutting down their backs – trying to make them a one dimensional team.  

Last weekend they had two runners rush for more that 100 yards each.  That is a tremendous accomplishment in this day and age of throwing the ball all over the yard.

Both are short but powerful runners – they are veterans and saw significant time last season.  They like to get downhill quickly with their shoulders square to the line.

Defensively we will rely upon the front to play solid “gap” defense with each player executing his assignment.  You stop the run by filling each gap with shoulders parallel to the line of scrimmage.   We have to be sure with our responsibilities and execute them decisively.

We pride ourselves on our hard tackling and overwhelming pursuit to the ball.  We need to be on point up front and force them into a throwing game.

McDaniel also played some really strong defense as well.  Their opponent Catholic University managed only 22 yards in the second half and no first downs.  Now, I don’t care who you are playing against – that is some pretty stout defense.

***It’s not even the Green Terrors (as in plural for Terror) but “Green Terror!”***

The Green Terror also had the Centennial Conference defensive player of the week – Senior Ray Doh (2) had seven tackles (one for aloss) and two sacks.  At 6-3 and 230 pounds we will have to be aware of him.

***Again with the “Green Terror?”***

OK – I am not making  fun of this Green Terror nickname (I am a Konkrete Kid – the greatest nickname ever by the way!).  Did you know that a Green Terror is an  aggressive aquarium fish (fresh water and a Cichlid by the way).  I actually have known this for many years being an aquarium aficionado (Seriously I am.)

I know that McDaniel is not using a fish as their mascot.  So let’s delve deeper.  Reading about this mysterious mascot and nickname one stumbles upon this  tidbit….perhaps  (and again I say just…. PERHAPS) once long ago the McDaniel team – clad in green – played like terrors during a win.  

Or perhaps (again with the PERHAPS again) many years ago a coach tried to boost his players morale after a loss by saying they played like Terrors in that game.  Well for whatever reason they are the “Green Terror!”

I know you all wanted to know that bit of useless trivia.  But these are interesting things.

Back to serious matter like the game.

Despite some weather issues the guys have prepared well this week……because whatever their mascot is, and their nickname is…..the McDaniel players are the real deal. and they mean business.  They are coming to play us on Saturday at one o’clock –  and we have to be ready.

But, that’s what makes these games so exciting.  Getting ready and then going out to show our skills!

Preparing the troops then sending them out on Saturday – watching them put it all out for the GREYHOUNDS.  Now there is an awesome nickname and mascot!

GO HOUNDS!

OK here’s a little detour…..

Alright let’s take a peek at my high school.  The Northampton H.S. Konkrete  Kids. Once Voted as one of the top nicknames in the country by USA Today.

As most everyone knows I am a Konkrete Kid thru and thru (and if this spell check thing tells me that it is “concrete” one more time I may have another beer.) You won’t find a more loyal NHS grad.

Really looking forward to this Friday because the Kids are at home and I will get to watch them in person.  I think they play Pleasant Valley – but it won’t matter because we will tear there lips off!

Pretty much everywhere that I go I spread the lore of Northampton.  People all over the world know about the Orange and Black (yup I said “world” because I met another Konkrete – again with the spell check –  Kid coaching in Lucerne Switzerland.)

But, here is a bit of history I learned just this week.  2017 is the 80th Anniversary of the Northampton High School “Wonder Team.”

Here is an article about that team written by Mark Wogenrich for the Morning Call.  (By the way Wogenrich is a  Northampton name!)

Pretty cool stuff!  Many common Northampton names in that article! Onkotz, Schneider, Kometic, Pritko, Zirinski, Erdosy, Lisetski, Ludwig, Yankovitch, Gilly, Newhart, Burkhart, Leibersberger etc.

!HOTDOG FIGHT!

At work we just revved up the Yoccos vs. Potts controversy.  We have hotdogs from Potts every Wednesday during the season.

OK it seems like Potts gets a few extra votes since the men’s Basketball coach at Moravian….hmmm….his name is Potts.

Have to admit, they are pretty good.

Maybe Mario’s tonite….Carvels……what more could you want.

The second luckiest man in the world has only this to say?…Hah, what a life!

 

Many of my friends overseas, and in particular Switzerland, have contacted me via various outlets about coming to school here in the US.  Really up to this point I had very little information to offer.  This is my first effort (and I expect there will be additions to this in the future) to  supply data that you might be able to use.

Most of you are playing American Football and looking to not only find an educational direction but you want to continue to play ball.  I get that and will help you in any way I can with the football end.

But, this information is simply a generic idea of how to apply to  a college or junior (community) college here in the US for anyone – athlete or not.

On Wednesday of this week I met with the Director of International  Admissions at Moravian College (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) – Robyn Apgar.  She was very helpful and knowledgeable about what I will call “International Education.”

Just as a side note here – I help coach the football team here at Moravian College. One of my best friends was once the Head Coach and Athletic Director for many years at Moravian.

I have been here for several years coaching in a volunteer role.  So I’m aware of this school and others similar to it (small liberal arts colleges).

Although I am here at this school – by no means am I trying to convince you that Moravian is a match for any of you.  You all have to select the right path in your education.

Obviously you need to research the US schools (and there are thousands of colleges and junior (community) colleges to select from. ) They range in specialized schools in engineering or business to liberal arts colleges that build on a wide base style of education.  You have to find your “fit”.

You will find some schools restrictive because of costs, others are very reasonable.  For instance the junior colleges are inexpensive and offer a two year degree and often allow a student to find his or her direction for the final two years of school.

Robyn told me many things that will be useful to you:

•   Most, but not all 2 year (Junior or Community) or 4 year schools will require the SAT or ACT test prior to admission.
• Pretty much every school will require you to take some form of test to judge your mastery of English.  (Personally after spending time with you in Switzerland I think this will be very easy for any of you to handle – I am still astounded at your multi-lingual skills).  There are several tests that are available – but most of the time the school you want to apply to will inform you of the test that you need.  You will need only one and you probably can select from a wide list.  Here are the most common tests that Robyn told me about….TOEFL, IELTS, MELAB.  Others are ECPE, CPE, CAE.  NOTE: These tests will cost money, so make sure you are taking the right ones!
• You will need to make sure you can acquire your academic records that can be sent to the schools you apply to.  NOTE: In the US sometimes the schools charge to process your records.  Look into this first!
• You might have to write a short essay in English to show your mastery of the language and also your ability to compose work in it as well.  This often is a subject of your choice and it will not be long – so don’t let this be a hang up for you.  (Robyn told me she had one student write a page about her dog, another about going so obviously this will be easy for you).
• Eventually you will need your passport (most of you have this already) and a student visa.  These are easily acquired.  But, they take some time.  So you need to plan ahead.
• Most schools are seeking International Students – so there are scholarships available.  But the amount and type vary from school to school.  Also it is always better to apply early while more money is available for financial aid.

If you look at this list, you can see that this is very manageable.  You can probably arrange to have all of this started and finished within a few hours.  But please plan ahead – you need to find out the deadlines for applications etc.

I really want you all to have some exciting opportunities and this might fit into your plans.  This is not a money making enterprise for me and I would not steer you in any one direction or another.  But you just might find an adventure!

But, know this – I will help you in any way I can.  You all pretty much know how to reach me (WhatsApp, Facebook, LinkedIn etc.), and you are welcome to share any of my contact information with any of your friends or instructors.

All questions from you are welcome – that will help me to expand my own knowledge on this subject and then I can continue to share better information.

Just a few other notes before I finish.

First, if you just randomly look up a college in the US and go to their website – you are almost guaranteed to find a drop down that refers to International Students.  Almost invariably that will give you any information you need including on-line applications etc.

For instance since my son attended the University of Michigan I looked up the International Information – that area pretty much covered most of the things I mentioned earlier.  You can easily formulate  a plan within a few minutes.

Second, as far as coming to states as a HIgh School exchange student.  This is a possibility for many of you.  But, I have little information on this to date.  I am going to talk with some people in the next week or so.  After I get that information I will post another “Blog” or whatever you want to call this paper I have written.

Lastly, football-wise.  I have seen our U-19 team play.  The athleticism and ability is certainly there in the SAFV.  What you lack right now is just plain experience.  When you gain that you will certainly be able to find the right niche for you.

So, keep me posted on your progress.  But – think about High School exchange student for a year.  Or, if you are past that – Junior College here in the US.  These will both offer you an indicator on what you need to do.

I am going to try and contact some Junior College football coaches and try to gauge their interest in finding athletes from abroad.  One way or another I am going to work on this.

I will also look into the High School exchange programs.

Please, share any of this with your friends or school mates who might want to look into International opportunities.

Again…just let me know what information I can find for you – or how I can give you some help.  Good Luck my friends!

 

No matter how long you are involved in football it is always difficult to watch your team lose any game – but especially a close game that was within your reach.  I’m sure that there wasn’t a Moravian player, coach or fan who left that game both frustrated and excited at the same time.

Frustrated because we all saw a game we could win slip away.  In a tough and very physical matchup at Kings College – we saw our opener get away 30-27 on a late field goal.

But also excited because we saw so many promising moments.  Moments created by some outstanding individual exploits and some great team effort.  I think as we move along through this season you will see a steadily improving team on and off the field

No disrespect to the Monarchs – who earned the win as much as we let it slip through our fingers. But, we had every chance to walk away (Drive away I guess??!!)  from Wilkes Barre with a nice victory in our pocket. We threw away several points, missed critical checks, had some missed tackles, and had some vital mental lock ups.

These Hounds are a young and developing team and this is a group that will undoubtedly accomplish great things before they are finished.  The errors we committed and problems that happened on the field are correctable and will help us to become a much better team in the future.  (I do mean “we” as well….I certainly had as much responsibility for the loss as anyone playing….and I’m sure each coach would echo that.)

We played with some brand new players as well as  inexperienced guys.   Someone mentioned that 10 of 11 players on offense were new.  I haven’t really checked that out.  But it sounds pretty close.

Then we had another five new starters on defense.

And when you start guys like this you expect some rookie mistakes. As a group we certainly had them. Our second half errors that basically allowed Kings to take the game day from us.

But, despite our shortcomings – we had just as many bright spots in our performance.

Look at Nick Petros running for a long gain from punt formation – three days ago he just thinking about playing wide receiver and not even considering  being the punter against Kings.  Now future  opponents have to be concerned of our potential offensive threat on punting situations.

Doug Erney looked fast in practice…but in his first game as a Hound he was even faster.  Everyone knows the John Harrison and the  offensive coaches will continue to improve his presence as a passer but his legs offer another source of offense.    Wait till we shake the explosive Eli Redmond loose!  Just a matter of time.

You can expect this offense to be explosive as they mature together because that offensive line is going to be really strong.  As in the past this will certainly be the backbone of the offensive team.  Just a matter of time until Coach Leavenworth has them operating on all cylinders.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when you see the group of receivers that are available.

Defensively we were  pretty firm up front (Captain Foud Haddad and Nick Tone were tough along the line….. and with their mates they were hard on the running game while adding a few sacks.)  Now the QB from Kings was effective running the ball  and we have to solve that.  But, you can count on Jim Newhard getting that group revved up before we get out there again..

These are just some of the points to be excited about.  Not even talking about Junior captain Nick Zambelli and the secondary.  Before the year is out the entire defensive unit will be very tough to handle.

So, yup….we are frustrated….yup we are excited.  Don’t worry when Jeff Puksyzn gets this bunch rolling – it’s going to be fun to watch.

Me…….I see this team being really a great bunch to be around!