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!)

January 28, 2000|by MARK WOGENRICH, The Morning Call

They called it the short-punt formation. Coach Woody Ludwig imported it from his Ivy League days at the University of Pennsylvania. Behind it, the Northampton High football team was unstoppable.

The short-punt formation worked time after time.

“We really thought we could score every play,” Zirinsky said.

They nearly did. Blessed with size and a dazzling offense, the Northampton Konkrete Kids ruled high school football in 1937. To this day, the town remembers The Wonder Team.

Loaded with big, strong senior lettermen, Northampton went 9-0, overpowering opponents in the process. It scored 518 points — nearly 58 per game, almost one per minute. It also allowed only 25, shutting out five opponents.

The scores were outrageous: 75-6 over Palmerton, 73-0 over Stroudsburg, 86-0 over Slatington. The pinnacle had to be Thanksgiving Day, when the Konkrete Kids outran Catasauqua 85-0.

“It wasn’t a game,” said Donald Gillespie, Catasauqua High class of 1940. “It was a walkthrough.”

Most of the season was. The Konkrete Kids frightened opponents with their size, then jolted them with their skill.

For the 1930s, this was a big football team. Tackle John Yankovitch, a captain, was 6-foot-4, 200 pounds. Schneider, who played end, went 6-4, 190. George Gilly, the other end, was 6-2.

The backs also scooted behind the blocks of guards Robert Burkhardt and William Evans and tackles Daniel Newhart and Paul Leibensperger.

“Man, we were big,” said Steve Pritko, a 175-pound backup end who played behind Schneider. “We’d just block up front and throw to the beanpoles (Schneider and Gilly).”

And, unlike most other teams, Northampton loved to throw. Though primarily a running offense, the short-punt formation allowed for a variety of options.

In the formation, four backs lined up behind center John “Ginger” Chernansky. The quarterback, then primarily a blocker, hedged 2 yards behind right guard.

The three backs — two halfbacks and a fullback — lined up 4 yards behind him. The center could snap to any of the four.

“It made us real tricky,” Zirinsky said.

For instance, Zirinsky, a quarterback and halfback who scored 99 points, broke the big runs. Skok, the fullback, barreled behind the guards for a team-high 122 points. And halfbacks Onkotz (94 points), Alex Schur or Charles Heffner threw.

Schneider was their favorite target and culprit in the team’s most creative play. Upon catching a short pass, Schneider pitched a lateral to a guard, who lateraled to a halfback, perhaps even the halfback who threw the pass.

“That play almost always worked,” Zirinsky said.

Directing the whole package was Elwood “Woody” Ludwig, who played at Penn and coached Northampton for five seasons. He later coached at Bucknell and the Pennsylvania Military College (now Widener University).

One assistant was Al Erdosy, who took over for Ludwig in 1939 and coached for 32 years. Another was Mike Lisetski, who became an NFL official and had a Northampton street named for him.

“The coaches were great. Toughies, but great,” said right guard Andrew Kometic, who still lives in Northampton. “They wanted us in good shape, but what they wanted most was for us to get to class.”

Zirinsky said the 1937 team featured 18 seniors, a high school rarity then. The Depression had forced many teen-age boys from school and into jobs.

Most of the players were first-generation high school graduates in their family. Kometic was the only one of five brothers to finish school.

“That’s just how it was,” he said.

It was that way for Pritko, too. His parents, immigrants from Austria-Hungary, could not speak English. Pritko signed his father’s $30 paychecks from the slate quarry every two weeks.

But he graduated to a prep school in New Jersey, then to Villanova. A backup to Schneider in high school, Pritko bloomed thereafter.

“That’s when I got three squares a day,” he said.

Pritko played end and punted at Villanova before entering the Marines. After his discharge, Pritko signed with the Cleveland Rams. Having bulked to 235 pounds, Pritko became an All-Pro end who helped the Rams to the world championship in 1945.

When the Rams moved to California in 1946, Pritko went with them. Zirinsky didn’t.

After playing at Lafayette and flying blimps in the Navy during World War II, Zirinsky joined Cleveland two games into the 1945 season. He didn’t want to move to California, so the Rams traded Zirinsky to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Zirinsky, who splits his year between Catasauqua and Naples, Fla., later played a season with the Bethlehem Bulldogs in the American Football League. So did Schneider, who starred at Muhlenberg and whose name now graces Northampton’s gym.

When the season ended, they wanted to display it. On Thanksgiving Day, Zirinsky scored four touchdowns in the victory over Catasauqua. Before that, Northampton had scored just 64 total points in 14 games against Catasauqua.

As a reward, the unbeaten Konkrete Kids were invited to Chicago to play Austin High and its legend, Bill DeCorrevont.

A back who later played with Northwestern University and the Chicago Bears, DeCorrevont led Austin to an unbeaten season. More than 110,000 fans watched Austin win the city’s annual Prep Bowl.

The Northampton players itched to go, but their trip was canceled — “Couldn’t get any money,” Pritko said. The Kids were irked and, Zirinsky said, threatened a strike.

It never got off the ground.

“Mr. Ludwig also coached basketball, and he said, `Look, if you’re not here tomorrow, you’re through,'” Zirinsky said. “That stopped everything, because we all wanted to play basketball.

“We were pretty good in basketball, too.”

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!

Opening games cause a lot of anxiety for coaches. For a coach it is only natural to have uneasiness as the season approaches. But, if you look at it…..there is a good reason for this….you have a lot more time to think about the opener than any other game during the season.

Coaches are natural worriers. We are constantly asking each other….So, what do you think? or…. Do you think we have a chance?

Being an optimistic guy I always try and take the high road. No matter how I really feel I am going to try and respond with something positive. (Well what should you say….”No, we are going to get our asses kicked.” Really if you feel that way it’s the wrong business to be in.)

As we approach the first game of the season at Kings on Thursday night there is the usual nervousness.

They finished 5-5 in the always tough Middle Atlantic Conference and they return some key skilled players. On the other hand – we lost some very good players from last year’s team. But, when you look at it…what does that really mean?

We spent the entire spring throwing the ball and defending with our players. We have had what I believe has been an outstanding training camp. The players have been really tuned in and have tried to do everything that has been asked of them.

It looks like our team coming together at the right time. If we play up to our capabilities and force them into some errors the score will take care of itself.

A good friend on mine – the late Frank Gansz (perhaps the best special teams coach the NFL has ever had) used to call professional football a “high performance” business. It truly is, there is no doubt about that.

But he constantly talked about how to perform at a high level and always had examples of people or organizations (teams, warriors etc.) who could do that on a consistent basis. He taught our players that the main and prevalent theme you could find throughout success was in the training.

You need to train at a high level so that your business – in this case the game itself – became a natural reaction for you.

He was convinced of this – If you trained the troops on how to react quickly and decisively in a stressful environment without having to think about it you would have a tremendous advantage. So, all of our special teams meetings and practices dealt with this – FUNDAMENTALS!

No, not scheme and trying to out-think your opponent with fancy game plans. But the constant drilling of the basics that you need to accomplish at high speed in the heat of the game. He trained those players to work together and react to the situation at hand competently. (Really if you think about this – it is the same in any business.)

If you ever watched Detroit play in the mid to late ’90’s what you saw was a fearsome special teams performance week after week. Yes, we had one of the greatest returners in the history of the NFL in Mel Gray….but it came down to the execution of fundamentals that paved the way for his and our success.

So, after being with Frank for five seasons with the Lions I learned many things. But, what really sticks in my mind to this day is his central theme of “training the troops.”

That is why I feel good about our team at Moravian right now. I think Coach Puksyzn and offensive coordinator John Harrison have put the assistants in a good position to help “the troops” get better every day in practice.

I think it is pretty obvious that we have covered all of the special situations we need to see. We also have practiced the fundamental aspects of our game quickly and with great effort.

Our practice sessions have been very good. For the most part the guys have really tried to give everything asked of them. There has been excellent effort and the attention has been sharp.

Sure it’s normal to nervous! There is nothing wrong with that. But when you practice hard and at a high level you learn to trust your training during the game. As I mentioned earlier…the score takes care of itself. The focus is on the performance of the fundamentals quickly and automatically at each position. That is what wins the game.

Execution of fundamentals under pressure without having to think about it. Trust your training!

Another exciting year of football about to get going!

The East coast and the Tri-State area (PA, NY, NJ) in particular is a great place to live….but it is an awesome place in regards to food. There are a great many dining experiences that can be found in this area than most parts of the country.

Take for example Yocco’s Hot Dogs.

After living in various parts of the country – currently the Midwest (Michigan) and other times in the southwest (New Mexico and Arizona) – I have been lucky enough to see some different types of cooking.

Did I mention Yocco’s Hot Dogs?

Being a great fan of Mexican food I can tell you that the southwest and New Mexico in general has outstanding food. You cannot match the flavor of the green chili from New Mexico – especially the chilis from the Hatch Valley. Many people automatically think chili = hot. Not so…obviously it can be… but the flavor is the key.

Arizona has great southwestern fare as well. Not the same as New Mexico (which is a state by the way) but equally as flavorful.

How about Yocco’s by the way?

Now Michigan where I happen to live most of the year – well not as exciting. We are the home of both Domino’s and Little Caesar’s pizza. Ironically, one family owns the Tigers and the other owns the Red Wings.

Domino’s and Little Caesar’s that pizza is OK – but just OK, nothing special. I would imagine that most everyone around here has probably tried it. You can go right down the street to Northampton and go to Mario’s – or Frattelli’s here in Bethlehem. Now that is real pizza.

Oh yeah in Michigan we have these things called Coney Dogs (hot dogs with chili on them). Michiganders (or Michiganians – both are correct) think these were invented in Michigan. Well, last time I looked we don’t have a Coney Island in our state – I think that city is in New York. so it is hard to claim we invented something from a different state? Ah…maybe I am crazy.

So although we have some good restaurants in Michigan – we pretty much are just boring when it comes to food. Well, it is the midwest.

Again, Yocco’s?

Back to the tri-state area. Yeah we have some pretty good food around here. Look at what we have – steak sandwiches (and cheese steak), birch beer, Carvel Ice Cream, Tastykakes, Taylor Pork Roll, Hoagies (take your pick of the kind), oh yeah REAL PIZZA (they actually flip the dough up in the air – don’t do that at Dominos or LC). Did I mention Yocco’s Hot Dogs?

How about that Solar Eclipse…..we were on the field about to start practice when it occurred. So far no one has been blinded as far as I know. Pretty cool stuff though. With all the hype I half expected the earth to split open and demons and dragons coming out of the crack?!? Guess what you can see the next total eclipse in seven years – so stay tuned and by all means keep those funky glasses you bought for the occasion.

With the eclipse I guess this means we might have more werewolves running around. Oops sorry that is a full moon I guess.

Yocco’s?

One of the. most important aspects of defensive football is “running to the ball” or pursuit. As a coach you are constantly preaching and yelling about the benefits of team hustle and getting as many defenders to tackle the ball carrier. The term gang tackling comes from this tactic.

****As an aside here – I’m sure the PC police will someday outlaw the term “gang tackling” just like they discourage the word “Smash mouth” football. While for the most part they do some really valuable things the politically correct people should leave our great game alone. When we refer to “gang” tackling It has nothing to do with what color bandana or what side of the city you are from.***

There is nothing more discouraging and demoralizing to an offense than to face a hard charging and swarming defense that appears to be everywhere at once because of their great hustle. Everyone talks about it. But like most good things in life it is hard to accomplish. It is something that requires “want to.”

A player has to “want to” run to the ball – it takes a lot more energy to run the extra fifteen yards when you are tired than to just be a spectator and watch someone else make a play. You have e to be willing to work just a little bit harder than the next guy to be a complete ball player. It’s easy to find a reason not top hustle or run to the ball. (Just a few – “I’m tired”…..”The ball carrier is too far away – I won’t get there so what’s the point?”…did you ever see a defensive lineman an make a play that far away?”)

Being very fortunate to be involved in our game for my entire life – I have heard all of the above and more.

I just wish everyone who plays football could watch a professional team practice just once – then perhaps we wouldn’t hear the excuses. The words fast and furious may define a movie series….but that is an NFL practice. There are many players I can point to that I saw in person practice who embody the word effort. But two will always stand out in my mind.

Kyle Vanden Bosch and Mike Cofer shape the word “effort” for me. I was around Mike in the late 80’s and then Kyle in 2010-12. I have never seen players work as hard in practice.

Mike literally would rush the passer from OLB…run around the QB and keep on going down the field to get in on the play. He did this time after time….day after day. It definitely translated to his success as a pro bowl player on the field. His peers marveled at his effort and it inspired them to work harder and realize that they had more to give than an excuse.

Kyle Vanden Bosh….what a warrior. Early injuries held back his career at first….his work ethic ultimately allows him to develop into Pro Bowl player. He was talented but most remembered for his legendary effort on the field. Not a particularly big man at 6-4, 270 as a defensive end he is a testament to hustle. In practice he routinely would pursue ball carriers thirty yards downfield and try to pop the ball out of unaware ballcarriers hands. (This had two great effects – it inspired his defensive mates to play harder in practice – and also created awareness to running backs for ball security). To say it carried over onto the field on game day would be an understatement.

After watching these guys and many like them day in and day out your team gets it…..you never hear about how hot it is and how tired someone is or defensive linemen don’t need to run to the ball because it isn’t a factor. All you had two do is watch these guys and you got your ass in gear.

You have all heard it before – this is why you run to the ball:

“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up, it knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed….Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn’t matter whether you’re the lion or a gazelle – when the sun comes up, you’d better be running!”

(Christopher McDougall from “Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the greatest race the World has Never Seen”)

So, I went to Yoccos.

The Hounds continue to work their way thru training camp. But, we make a slight detour to scrimmage with Fairleigh Dickinson University (also known by the nickname Fairly Ridiculous University).

They were 2-8 last year, but they play in the difficult Middle Atlantic Conference. We are coming off a 5-5 season that saw us pretty much give away at least one game.

I won’t blame the refs for the Susquehanna loss. But, I wouldn’t let those guys referee when I was playing for the the N.A.A. in 120 pound football in the old days.

It’s always nice to have a scrimmage for a variety of reasons. First, the guys on your team are tired of practicing against their own teammates day in and day out.

Since it is a practice game it lets you (as a coach) figure out what you have forgotten to prepare for (anything from having your special teams depth charts correct to making sure you have 11 men on the field.) It is amazing how many times early in the year you find yourself counting only ten or even worse 12 men on the field! Yikes Batman, having 12 will get you a penalty you know!

Once thing you are always concerned about is keeping your team healthy. You need to stay away from injuries…..we know it is impossible, but it is important to protect your team the best you can.

The scrimmage was a good test for us today. We found out a lot about the troops – the most important is that the guys will play hard. In practice you train the players to learn plays and schemes – but one thing you hope that you don’t have to worry about is team hustle and effort.

If you have to coach those things you are going to have trouble. After watching the scrimmage and how we “flew” around I think our guys will really give us some great effort on the field.

Naturally you always have one or two guys who will coast on a play here and there. We certainly will try and push these guys during practice. But some guys are just lazy…..honestly I don’t get it. Why play the game if you don’t work as hard as you can and hustle all over the place?

We made our share of mistakes during the scrimmage. However, it is nice to get the kinks out and see if you have any glaring holes you need to repair. We had some procedure issues on offense, a few misalignments on defense, a few missed tackles etc. But, these are things that we can fix and get done with some more practice time.

One thing we have to address however is the fact that we had two illegal hits. One was called a penalty and the refs missed the other one we committed. You simply cannot allow these things to happen because it will cost your team in the long run.

These are selfish penalties like late hits, hits out of bounds, pushing and shoving after a play. All things that can be prevented simply by keeping your poise. Football is obviously a rough game but you need too control your emotions.

Giving away 15 yards with potentially having a player suspended for the game and perhaps the next game. Not too smart.

But, the beauty of coaching is trying to play a solid game on a field where all kinds of things can (and will) go against your planning. That’s what makes it fun!