VICTORY TONIGHT.

                                                      Hard Fought Victory. 

It's over.  We finished the Spring season with a hard fought victory over Treasure Coast 13-6.  The Defense carried our butts all night long, and it was really nice to see.  It was definitely a defensive battle all night long.  Treasure Coast's defense was no joke either.  They had some fantastic looking athletes as usual, and they really came after us.  Our first offensive series was a real mess.  We fought early season jitters and made a few mental mistakes which really cost us.  However, we settled down and started moving the ball.   I had noticed that Treasure Coast had our waggle play covered pretty well.  They were jumping all over the Fullback coming out of the backfield, and this is the QB's number one receiver read; however, the Tight End was running free over the middle. Hakeem Rainey (our QB) tried to force a pass into double coverage and just about had it picked.  He came to the sideline and I motioned him to come see me.  I explained what I saw, and encouraged him to make his reads and look at the tight end the next time we ran the play.  Sure enough, Bethel calls the waggle, the play-action was good, and Hakeem hit the tight-end over the middle (on a drag route) for a 60 yard TD romp.  I was ecstatic and so proud of Hakeem.  Score at half was 7-0. 

The second half was a nasty defensive battle....it was great!  The defense kept giving us great field position with interceptions and big plays.  We finally put together a good drive and scored on a running play with Octavia Jefferson (OJ)  We took a 13-0 lead going into the 4th quarter.  Treasure Coast (TC) took the next series and score on a long 70 yard run and made the score 13-6.  Uh-oh I thought, here we go again.  They kicked off and pinned us back on the 10 yard line.  Hakeem made a mental error and threw a PIC on a screen play.  TC had the ball 1st and goal from about the 8 yard line.  Our Defense came to the rescue and stopped them 4 straight times.  THIS was huge.  We  went back on Offense and ground out a couple of first downs and ran out the clock.  All things considered, we played well on both sides of the ball.  Sure, we made a few mistakes, but all these things can be corrected.  Like I stated on an earlier blog entry, we expected the defense to be ahead of the offensive for awhile.  Our defense was awesome tonight. 

Mason was not cleared to play tonight.  I could not even bring myself to throw in a dig or two tonight.  I felt bad for the boy, for I knew he wanted to play.  It was HOT- HOT tonight, and we did have a few issues with cramping.  I think Javonte King was running on empty.  He was just not the same kid. I think he may be coming down with the flu, or he was just completely dehydrated.  Everyone else came out of the game healthy, and for that, I am thankful.  I think Hakeem played pretty well tonight.  He made a couple of bad decisions, but that stuff happens to young QB's.  I thought he became a good field general tonight.  When he came off the field, I would usually just talk with him in a calm voice, and explain what I was looking at from the sideline.  I encouraged him to stay calm and lead his team.  I told Hakeem: "This is where great QB's are born!"  For his first varsity start, I thought he did a great job. 

Marty fed the whole team tonight and it was a huge, huge hit.  Marty purchased 10 pounds of ground beef, 10 lbs of spaghetti, 6 gallons of tomatoes (and cooked it down for sauce) 12 loaves of french bread, and about 200 cake pops.  The players and coaches ate well and seemed to enjoy the homemade cooking.  There was no food left at all.  It was great to see those kids eat a pre-game meal and enjoy it.  Made this old coaches heart feel good.  Afterall, I consider these my kids too. 

I guess this is about it for awhile.  I appreciate you guys reading my blog, and I really enjoyed writing it.  I hope this blog gave you a different perspective on what happens with coaches behind the scenes.  Coaches are sometimes unfairly judged on their wins and losses.  We work exceptionally hard (on our staff)  to put the best product on the field.  I hear the criticism sometimes, but I have learned to let it roll off my shoulders.  We are not just teaching Football, we are teaching our players "Lessons in Life."  Afterall, high school football only lasts fours year; however, the players will spend the rest of their life remembering it. ....... I sure do. 

See you in August when I continue this BLOG. 

GZ

We Are Ready.

Well, the preparation is over.  I am starting to get sick to my stomach. Today we completed the last practice of the Spring football season.  Amazing.  Two weeks ago I thought there was no way we would be ready to play ball tomorrow.  We had numerous rain delays and cancellations.  We had kids hurt.  We were short-staffed for about two weeks.  Somehow, we got the players ready to go.  Today was quite businesslike with the approach.  We all just went to work and attacked the task at hand.....winning this game tomorrow!  We are still up-in-the-air with Mason right now, for he has not been completely cleared to play.  However, I spoke with his mom tonight, and she expects him to be ready.  I already blogged about me  making the wrong decision on a player's health, so I am glad the decision is not on the coach's shoulder.

Marty is cooking for the team tomorrow.  She is preparing to feed about 80 players and coaches for our pre-game meal.  We are a public school, so there is not a lot of extra money to go around at the end of the year....even the booster club is tapped out.  Marty used to feed the JV team every game during the season, so she is used to making the huge quantity of food needed to feed these horses.  My business is supplying the food, and Marty is preparing it.  She will be serving Pot Spaghetti, Garden Salad, French Bread, and a couple of Cake-Pops per player.  Mason's Mom (Tracy) will be helping her serve.  Marty really enjoys cooking for the kids too.  In fact, she has been feeding the coaches (on Saturday) for years.  If the coaches had a choice between ME or Marty, they would choose Marty....no doubt.  Their stomach speaks loudly on her behalf. 

Coach Miller's daughter gave me a hug today.  I swear, she gets prettier every time I see her.  She informed me that she was trying out for cheerleader tomorrow. AHHHH, the memories of that!!  At the time, it seemed like life or death for any young girl, and I guess in their world...it is; nevertheless, I remember it being pretty political down in Vero.  I hope it works out well for her.  I told her: "Kristin always said to look the judges in the eye and smile!"  I saw Coach Miller point to her and shake his head YES.  I guess he agrees.  It is going to be interesting to see her mature; naturally, the football player's will be chasing her.  LOL.  I can see Miller's bald head turning red now!  Hey, I went through it, and Bethel is on the backside of it right now.  Luckily, the boys who wanted to date my daughter were also my football players.  I had a pretty good grip on that situation.........until years later when she married the damn QB.....Joe Westberg.  I remember Joe saying to me: "Coach, why does your daughter only go out with the Sissy Boys?"   I completely lost that battle.  However, I received the my best present in the world from the union between my daughter and the QB. 

When I found out Kristin was pregnant, I was NOT a happy camper.  I thought I was too young to be a good Grandpa, and I was not shy about showing my disapproval.  I thought Kristin should start her career, and THEN have a child a littler later in life.  She had a MASTER"s Degree from Vanderbilt, and I believed she should start using it.   I was so stupid and ignorant.  Kelsey was born on October 17h, 2005  I went to the hospital to see Kristin and the baby.  I sat in a chair; then Kristin placed that baby in my arms.  I sat there and cried like a pussy.  My life was changed forever.  I was immediately in love with that little girl, and I could not get enough of her.  I became a doting Grandpa, and I never expected for this to happen.  Kelsey reminds me so much of Kristin, and I guess that I may be trying to over compensate for me being such a lousy father.  I am a MUCH, MUCH better Grandpa than I was a father.  Kelsey is the Love of My life, and I do not apologize to anyone for saying it. 

I have another Grand baby too.  Her name is Kirby, and she is Kristin's and Joey's  second child born two year's ago.  I have not really bonded yet with the little, cute Kirby.  But, I am planning to do so this Summer.  Kirby looks like a little pistol, and I think she may be the athlete of the Westberg family.  That will be fun to watch.  I think I will start by biting the "tender meat" on her arm.  LOL  This will be so much fun. 

                                                   Kelsey and Kirby 

Anyway, that's all for this evening.  I report on the game tomorrow evening....the final blog entry until we start back in August.  This has been fun. 

GZ

Turning Up The Heat

"Ladies, you CAN'T be first, but you CAN be next! "

   

Today was the last regular practice for this Spring.  Man, where has the time gone?  It seems like we just started.  We used this day to grease everything we were going to need Thursday night.  We have been hitting our special teams pretty hard all week, and today we hit punt return, kickoff return and a little punt team for good measure.  Coach Miller is really the special team guy for us, and he is pretty good at it.  I was receiving special "proposed depth charts" on each special team (via E Mail) before the Spring even started.  Although I have never seen it, I think he has a special football program on his computer to list personnel and the backups for each position.  Personally, I am not a special teams guru. Miller will ask me to help him personally with P.A. T. (Point after Touchdown) and Punt Team, but he knows I have my hands full with flip boards, wrist bands, color cards, footballs, and offensive personnel; therefore, he leaves me alone for the most part.  I will jump in where I can to help, but as far as strategy is concerned,  its all Miller. 

I think we are in pretty good shape for Thursday.  Even though we lost a few days of practice due to rain,  we have rebounded nicely.  Both sides of the ball looked sharp today.  Offensively, we surprised ourselves and prepared a nice package for the match-up.  We will be starting Hakeem at QB, and hopefully, Hatch will get some reps as well.  Other than bragging rights, The Spring game really means nothing.....officially.   However, we still want to win this game to get us off on the right foot.  We could be playing The Panther Might Mite team, and we would still want to win the game.  

Tomorrow we have our walked-thru for the game.  The kids will come out dressed in Helmets, Shirts and Shorts.  We will stretch, have a very short Indy, a very short unit, and then a short team period.  Then we will have a game situation scrimmage.  We will run a full offensive series , then the defense will get their reps.   We will hit every special team tomorrow as well.  If everything goes well, we should be off the field by 4:30.


More Tomorrow.

GZ



2 Practice Days and Counting.

Today was the last Monday of spring training for us.  We had a lot of stuff packed into today's practice, and the kids responded well.   I guess we can expect more of the same tomorrow as well.  The defensive kids playing offense puts us at a whole different level.  We should be able to compete with the athletes of Treasure Coast High School.  Overall, we are healthy going into Thursday nights game.  But then again, coaches may not be the best judge of the severity of injuries. 

To me, the general rule of thumb is:  "If the bone is not sticking out, then you are not really hurt too bad."  I am joking of course....sort of! LOL.  This theory probably cost my son Mike his career.  Mike was a young skinny 9th grade QB playing for Coach Smith on the JV team.  Mike was the son of a QB coach (me) and we could always depend on Mike to lead the team.  Smitty would ask Mike to call his own plays at the line of scrimmage, because he trusted Mikes judgement on what he was seeing at the moment.  Defenses will often show one defensive front, and then quickly shift into another defense front before the snap.  Mike had a young QB's ability to change to a more appropriate play for the situation.  Mike and I worked out a simple audible system to communicate with the other players.  I was always afraid to use it, but Smitty loved it. 

We were playing Okeechobee on the road.  We were up by two touchdowns on a very talented JV team.  Mike had burned their ass with two TD Passes to Dennis Jefferson on deep play-action routes.  Mike may not have been the quickest dude in the world, but he was excellent with the fundamentals of play-action, and fakes.  Anyway, I called a QB roll out and a combo route with the two receivers.  The blocking collapsed and Mike was sacked.  He was the last to get up and he ran off the field.......straight to the bench.  Luckily, we punted and went on defense before the half ended.  Mike said: "Dad, I am hurt!" 

I knew something was very wrong.  Mike had / has a very high tolerance for pain.  I always taught Mike to NEVER lay his butt on the field.  Somehow, someway get off the field under his own power.  NEVER let the defense see you hurt.  I have seen Mike come running off the field with his breath completely knocked out of him.  I have seen his mouth bloodied from taking a shot.  Mike never laid  down....ever.  I was trying to teach him to be a tough leader.

I asked Mike what was wrong?  He said: "Dad, my ankle turned over, and it's bad.  It's going numb."  I asked the infamous question: "Can you go?" Mike said:  "Tape it up Dad!" (I am not too proud of this next part)  I tightly taped his shoe to the lower part of his leg.  I just kept wrapping and wrapping until the ankle was completely immobilized.  Smitty asked: "Is he OK?  Can he play?"  I said Mike was ready to go, and Smitty decided to put him in the game.  Mike started and played the entire second half.  In fact, he threw a third TD pass and we won the game. 

After the game, I cut off the tape.  The ankle swelled and turned purple and black.  We iced it down overnight. The next day (Friday) he could barely walk.  Jerry (the trainer) said it did not look good.  We kept up the ice treatment all weekend.  On Monday, it was no better at all; in fact, it looked worse.  Marty (my girlfriend) worked for an Orthopedic office, and she kept saying to me: "There is something wrong, he is really hurt bad."  Long story short:  Mike had ripped all the ligaments completely off his ankle, and major reconstruction was necessary to stabilize the ankle.  It was a nasty injury.  Dr Cain performed the surgery.  He was a military surgeon who used to operate on the British Airborne Soldiers who injured their ankles jumping from airplanes.  Old school all the way, and a master at his craft.  He took ligaments from one another part of Mike's foot, and transplanted them into his ankle, and screwed this and pinned that and sewed it all up. 

Truthfully, the ankle was never the same after the first injury. In fact, the same ankle was again injured during his senior year, and a radical new surgery was needed to repair the damage.  We were warned: The ankle could not be repaired again. The next step would be ankle fusion, and he would never walk the same again. 

The doctors said that Mike did not do anymore damage to the ankle by playing on it further.  They were just surprised that he could stand the pain involved while doing so.  I will never forget what Mike said to Dr. Cain:  "The pain was not too bad if I kept moving!"  LOL.  I  am much more careful with my players today.  Our trainer is excellent, and I trust her judgement completely.  Besides, Mike turned out just fine!! 

Final Countdown: 3 Practice days to go.

Today is Sunday, and I took the entire day off away from football.........yeah right.  I went up to school at about 11:00 am to assemble the new tackling sled platform. This thing came in several smaller boxes which were very heavy even by themselves.  The legs were strapped together and laying inside our portable.  Then there was a 16ft long, 4" x 4"  (1/4 inch steel) square post laying on the back ramp.  I got  to school and started the assembly process.  I took the pieces over across the field in the back of my pick-up truck.  Each base pole was 8' tall.  Both the end frames bolted together with 3/4" lag bolts, and sort of looked like a giant modified 'V' (upside down.)  Each leg has a 1 ft  round ground platform bolted to it (these keep the poles from sinking into the ground)  At the top of each assembly, there is a large square assembly to accept the 4 x 4 steel post you see here in this picture.  I could do the smaller assembly myself........then I walked across the field to drag over the large 16 ft 4 x 4 post.  LOL.  Sometimes I am so stupid.  That post must have weighed 250 lbs.  It was a real beast. 

I never ask for help....ever.  I will figure out a way to do anything by myself usually.  But, there was no way this was going to happen.  I get on my phone and texted Mason: "Hey buddy, what are you doing now?"  He answered immediately and came up to school (on his day off) to help me.  I could not have done it without this big and strong 16 year old.  Together, we carried the large cross member over to the end frames waiting for us on the other side of the field. Big Mason basically pressed the big post over his head to get the first side inserted into the receiver.  We leaned the receiver forward to accept one end of the post; however, this entire unit is 8' tall.  There was no way we could maneuver the post high enough to get the other (end assembly) connected.  Mason gets on his phone and calls another player, Gage.  Thankfully, Gage came right up to school and we all knocked it out quickly.  (Thank god for young strong muscle.  These are really good kids too.) 

So, what do you think?  I know it is not much to look at, and although it does not look like it, but this thing is HEAVY.  Did I mention it was heavy?    Anyway, we will connect an 80lb (6ft)  bag on the sliding carriage you see in the picture.  The carriage is on wheels and slides down the length of the center post.  The players will make contact with the bag, wrap up, and drive the bag the length of the machine.  The offensive line will use this machine for punch blocking.  There are all sorts of drills we can use this beast for.  Did I mention it was heavy? 

While I was at school,  a college recruiter came to pick up some information on some of our players. I really enjoyed this guy's visit.  His older father was riding along with him, and we all sat in the portable and talked for about an hour......and not just about football.   As we were wrapping things up, I told the younger coach: "Enjoy this time with your dad, it is special!"  His relationship with his father really took me back.

All in all, it was a good day.  LOTS to do this week.  I hope the weather leaves us alone. 

GZ

Countdown: 5 days to go!

Today was physical day, so there is really nothing to report.  The coaches met at the hospital this morning (7:30 am) to sort of direct traffic while our kids got their free physicals.  We were all finished up by 11:00 am.  Our Athletic Director took all the football coaches out to lunch at Woody's BBQ in Roseland.  It was a nice relaxing time for us all.  I really enjoy the camaraderie with the other coaches.  I have stated this over and over. Our staff is very tight.....like brothers.  We have each other's back. 

Tomorrow I will be at school putting together a new tackling sled Mr. Stutzke got for us.  This sled is a beast, and it will make us a better tackling team.  I can imagine all sorts of new drills we can use this sled for.  Bottom line is that we got a new toy!  While I am at school, I have to meet with a college recruiter to give him some information, video, and transcripts on a few of our rising seniors.  Say what you want, but the  Sebastian River High School Football Staff works exceptionally hard to get exposure for our kids and get them in college.  From experience I can say this is not always the case with other schools. 

That is it for tonight.  Going to bed.

Countdown: 6 Days to go!

`Im Ric Flair! The Stylin`, profilin`, limousine riding, jet flying, kiss-stealing, wheelin` n` dealin` son of a gun!

We had out final full scrimmage today in Sharks Stadium.  The whole day was sort of laid back and business like.  I came in a little early and took care of the water while a few of the kids set up the field.  We had a quick staff meeting at 2:45, and we were on the field promptly at 3:00.  Miller led a quick stretch and we went right to a unit period.  We started the actual scrimmage at about 3:45 pm.  Randy called me today to ask if the headphones were charged.  Remember the charging cart I made last Sunday?  Well, it paid for itself today, for I knew immediately the phones were charged and ready to go.  No more searching for outlets and chargers. The cart will really come in handy.  Anyway, we put on the phones for the first time today, and we called the game from the sidelines.  Bethel has so many different 'packages' of receivers and running backs that I need to stay on his hip while he calls plays.  This way, I can make sure he gets the personnel he needs for a given situation.  Sometimes it is kind of nerve racking trying to stay ahead of him.  Like I have written before, Randy can be pretty intense and demanding if things are not going his way.  Luckily, after 15 years, I am used to it.  The scrimmage went back and forth today, and neither side really got the better of the other.  With the addition of the defensive kids, the offense took a big leap forward this week.  This may be a good offensive team after all.  When the defense is at full strength, they are going to be very, very tough.  They are just so damn physical, and they fight like hell. 

We have 'free' physicals tomorrow morning at Sebastian River Medical Center.  One time per year, the hospital donates their facility, and the doctors donate their time to give our student-athletes a sport physical.  The physical is good for a full school year, and it will clear the athlete to participate in all sports.  I am not a doctor (obviously) and I really do not know what is checked, but I do know the players are weighed.  We have had a couple of players in the 300 lb plus range, and we even had a player in the 400 lb range.  Kids today are bigger than we ever were.  Not too long ago, a 225 lb player was a pretty big lineman.  Now days, 225 lbs would be considered small.  I really don't know why kids are bigger, but they are maturing and growing much faster than we ever did.  It must be the hormones in the food they eat.  Food is better, and medicine is better.  Today's athlete is bigger, stronger, and faster than ever.... but in my opinion, they are also a little behind.

When I was a kid, obviously we did not have computers, or video games, or I-Pods, or 300 plus TV channels to watch.  We played ball outside for hour and hours.  Football, baseball, basketball, frog ball, whiffle ball. kick ball, or whatever.  We were constantly throwing or catching a ball of some kind.  No one ever had to show us how to catch a ball.  Either you caught the ball or you would get busted in the head or mouth.  Now days, we generally have to start from square one. This is a football!  This is how to catch a football!  This is how you get in a three point stance! etc..  Naturally,
not all younger players fall into this category; however, I will say that the players who played in the youth leagues are way ahead of those who did not.  The coaches in the youth leagues are do a great job with their kids.

More tomorrow.  I am tired. 

GZ

Game Week: 7days to go.

"All the women want to be with me, all the men want to be like me."......... Ric Flair 

More rain and lightning today.  We saw it coming, so Coach Miller skipped our stretching period and went directly to P.A.T (Point After Touchdown.)  We worked PAT for about 10 minutes and went right to our unit period.  We  ran about 15 minutes of unit, and suddenly we were sucked into an abyss.  Lightning struck and set off all sorts of alarms.  We had to go inside.  Then came the rain.  And boy did it rain.  Each unit (offense and defense) went into different portables and watched video of the scrimmage on Saturday.  This is always interesting, because "the eye in the sky don't lie"  and the players get to see their mistakes (and the good things) on video.  Finally at about 4:45, we were able to get back on the field.  Randy went straight to a full 7 on 7 full team passing period, and we threw in some running game as well.  This was a good period for both sides of the ball.  We finished with some conditioning and got off the field at 5:30. We have our final scrimmage tomorrow, and then we officially begin our normal game week preparation.  We still have a lot to do next week.  I hope the weather cooperates with us. 

I may have been falsely accused of a wrong doing on Saturday.   It appears that someone MAY have celebrated an offensive score with his arms out to the side (like a jet) and flying past the defensive coaches hollering WHOOOOOOO!  I realize that "the eye in the sky don't lie" but I am not convinced it was me.  Like I always say: "ALWAYS deny it was you.  Even if they catch you doing it, always deny it was you."  I will not rest until the culprit on the video is brought to justice!!  Miller and Perry were kind of salty today.  LOL.  It is fun to see those guys get a little riled up every now and then.  The defensive players feed off their energy, which makes it a little difficult for us (on offensive) at times.  I really like our defensive coaches, and I can see why they are great teachers (in the classroom) as well.  Great coaches have to be great teachers, and I think our staff is exceptional. 

College recruiters are a mixed bunch.  Some of these guys come on campus and you just know this guy is a college coach.  Some guys come on campus and you wonder: "How in the hell is this guy a college coach?"  I guess it takes all types.  You see some of these big-time coaches on TV and you would figure these guys will be all full of themselves and think they know everything about the game. Once you talk with them, you realize these guys are just like us, with the same kind of problems as us.....just at a larger level.  Coach Bobby Bowden and Coach Howard Snellenberger are two of the most genuine guys you will ever meet.  I can see why their player's love them. 

GZ

Wednesday....Hump day

We got in a full practice today.  Amazing, huh?  It was cloudy and overcast all day long, and it was spitting rain during practice.  We were really tight on the schedule (in case it rained) and Randy made sure we stayed on the practice plan.  All in all, it was a good day.  During 7 on 7, Miller and Perry actually fired the first verbal assault, and this time I answered back.  Usually, it is the other way around!  Offensively, we had some unexpected help from the defense this week.  Today, we got to use some of their regular players on offense, and it was sooo sweet.  Remember, most of these players once played (as 9th graders) on offense anyway, and it was nice to see them back.  All these guys are just pure, hard nosed football players.  We are constantly trying to build depth at all positions, so our younger kids get a lot of reps during spring; however, when it comes to nut cutting time, we are going to put our best eleven on the field.....two-way player or not. 

I like using defensive kids in certain positions.  These guys are used to coming downhill and hitting somebody, and that makes them perfect for down blocking or blocking the edge.  Also, the DB's make great running backs because they understand running lanes and cutbacks...... and they are just so damn physical.  As long as we don't overload them with our complicated offense and keep it simple, they will be awesome.  Luckily, their learning curve is going to be less because they all have experience on offense.  This is going to be great, and I appreciate the defensive coaches helping us out.  Sure makes our job easier. 

Two way players are common at smaller schools, but when you get to the larger schools (such as ours) the opposing teams usually have separate players for both offense and defense.  This way, each unit stays fresh during the game.  We just do not have the (3 deep depth) to substitute freely without a drop off, so using a few two-way players becomes necessary.  We will make sure the players are in good shape and ready for the rigors of the season. 

Tomorrow I will start the countdown until kickoff.  We play Treasure Coast next Thursday at South County Field. 

"Space Mountain May Be Getting Old,  But It Still Has The Longest Lines!"                            
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!.......Ric Flair

GZ

Rain Again.

This rain and lightning is killing us. Coach Miller was running late today, so Jefferson took the kids out for stretch.  We stretched as usual, and CRACK, lightning bolt lights up the sky.  Indoors we go. Rain followed soon after.  Finally, we ended up under the bleachers for a mock run-through of a game situation.  I will give Randy some credit, for he is good at keeping the kids busy under the stands with walk-thrus and running the pillars.  It would drive me crazy.  We really need to get on the field ASAP.  Next Thursday (Game day) is coming fast. 

Let me tell you why I am so worried about the water coolers.  We had a scrimmage on Saturday.  I took out both battery water cows, and one coil cooler.  When we came off the field, I made sure that both water cows were taken in correctly.  Coach Brown asked one of the Freshman to break down the coil cooler and take it inside.  I noticed a big pile of ice on the ground outside the water room.  I thought:  Oh No!  Sure enough, the cooler was tore up.  The boy dumped the cooler upside down to empty the ice, and the entire inside guts (brass coils) fell out and broke off the connections.  The feeder hose connector broke as well.  The hose was wrapped up and tangled on the reel too.  I spent Sunday repairing the cooler once again.  I have chosen a couple of younger boys ( I can trust) to help me out, so maybe we can keep this from happening again. 

We have some real characters on this team, and I really enjoy coaching them.  During our stretch, this is a casual period that we all use to talk with the players, throw in some jabs, or maybe even talk some smack....like Ric Flair.!  I tell the boys: "Don't hate me because I am pretty.  My Grandma used to say I was too pretty to be a boy!"  One of the big linemen said: Grandmothers say a lot of things coach!"   LOL.  Some of the kids are just plain funny.

 I remember when I coached the Senior Panther team.  I had this player named Ivory who was a real character.  I would send Ivory on crack back blocks, and he would try to separate the defensive player's head from his body.  Just a fierce hitter.  I would send Ivory out as a wide receiver.  It was important that he lined up ON the line of scrimmage.  With Ivory, this was always a chore, for he was not the brightest bulb on the tree at the time.  We  were playing West Melbourne, and I called for this crack back play.  I wanted to run this play into our own boundary so I could see it develop.  The QB calls the play, and out comes Ivory.  I told Ivory:  "Tell the referee you are on!"  (as in lined up ON the line) Ivory looks at the referee and says: "YOU are on!"  The referee says:  "I'M NOT ON!"  Ivory says: "Yes you is, Coach says you is!"  I about died laughing.  How can you not laugh at that? 

In an earlier posting, I shared that the VB Recreation Department used to give me the troubled kids because I could control them.  I had a player name Cecil who had just moved here from New York City.  This was a fantastic looking kid who looked like a great athlete, and looked fast just standing.  I was not wrong, Cecil was LIGHTNING fast.  Cecil told me he got so fast running from the Police after a getting into trouble. LOL.  For some reason, Cecil and I really hit it off.  I gave him the discipline he was not getting at home, and he just soaked it up.  Anyway, Cecil ran GREAT, as long as he was not getting hit.  He hated contact, and he folded up in traffic.  However, if Cecil could get the corner on a team, it was over.  NO ONE could catch him.  Cecil had just broken a long run for a TD, and he ran off the field breathing hard and out-of-breath.  He said to me: "COACH, I have got to quit smoking!"    I had to laugh.  Cecil also lived in my neighborhood. The neighborhood was having a bad string of car burglaries, and home invasions.  Cecil told me: "You don't have to worry coach, it will never happen to you!"  I never asked any questions.  In this case, I did not want to know.  Cecil ended up in prison a few years later.  For all I know, he may still be there. 

Later.
GZ

Mrs. Wiggins

Today is Monday, and we have the day off......or at least I do.  Bethel called at 1:40pm and said: "Hey, did anyone call you to say we were meeting at 1:30 today?"  I said: "NO, but I wish I knew!"  Oh well, I think they will be just fine without me today.  Truthfully, my feet hurt, my knees hurt, my shoulders hurt, and my kidney is killing me.  I could use another day off.  I am still having some issues with my kidney, so peeing is not fun right now.  Sort of like peeing sand spurs and lighter fluid.  Oh well, I only have myself to blame...its all good.  I tend to be a little barbaric in the way I handle my own health, and I am afraid I have passed these traits on to my children as well.  Mike busted his eye open in college, and he wanted to butterfly and superglue the huge gaping cut closed.  The doctor had a fit, so Mike got some regular stitches above the eye instead.  Funny how these things are passed down.  My daughter Kristin is also tough as nails, but unlike her father, she is also very intelligent. 

Kristin was born when her Mom (Penny) and I were very young.  We were a young couple without a dime to our name. Naturally, we did not have any money for things like baby furniture and so forth, so we improvised. One day, Penny and I decided to go fishing behind the apartment (the only activity we could afford) so we jumped into my Camaro and drove down the dirt road leading to this canal.  We were talking along the way about a baby bed,and naturally, we did not have any money to buy one.  Low and behold, we look up, and there was a old baby bed (all set up) in a vacant lot next to this canal.  This bed was completely out-of-place in this vacant junk-yard lot, but there it was right in front of our eyes.  I disassembled the old bed and took it home.  The bed was stripped and repainted, new decals added (baby lambs I think) and my Mom purchased us a new mattress for it.  This old bed was as nice as any store-bought bed.  God answered our needs on that day, and he later blessed us with a perfect little girl.  We named her Kristin (after the girl who shot JR on the TV series Dallas)

We always knew Kristin was a little ahead of her peer group.  She started walking at 8-9 months old, and even her teeth came in early.  We would read to her and look at her books over and over. Kristin could never get enough of me reading her books, and telling her stories.  I still remember the story of "Oscar Beaver." LOL.   Naturally, with doting grandparents, she had several educational toys as well.  I used to tease Kristin and have some fun with her when she was very young.  I remember she had this toy called 'See and Say' Farmyard.  You pointed the arrow, pulled a string, and the toy would say something like: "The Cow says "MOOOOOOO" ...you get the drift.  I found the stickers (representing the animals) peeled off pretty easily.  So, I decided to mix the animals up on the facing of the toy.  Kristin pointed the arrow at the cow, and the toy would say: "The Chicken says Cock a Doodle Dooo!"  She tried it again:  She pointed the arrow at the horse.  "The Cow says MOOOOOO!"  LOL.  She quickly lost interest in that toy because it was "Stupid"  LOL.  I had great fun with that one. 

We would observe  Kristin "reading" her books at age 4 or so.  At first, we thought she was memorizing the pages by the pictures; however, sometimes, she would be reading pages without pictures.  We would be driving down the road (this was before car seats really) and Kristin would be standing in the front seat saying:  "BURGER KING, BURGER KING!"  or McDONALDS, McDONALDS and so forth.  At first, we thought she was seeing the billboards and recognizing the Logos,  but, when she blurted out "Wilson Chiropratic" (or something like that)  we knew something was up.  Penny was washing the dog one day, and Kristin was looking at the shampoo bottle and giving instructions: "Mom. it says to wash, rinse thoroughly, and repeat."  She was just 4 years old.  Kristin would stand on our coffee table and sing: "Just a Swingin" which was a big hit by (John Anderson) at the time.  Kristin liked to look at the farm yard animals when we drove around town.  She would say: "Look Daddy, Moo Towells" (COWS)   I would say: "NOPE, that is a horse!"  She would get really silent and quietly blurt out:  "ooks like a moo towell"  (yes, I said "ooks")  Even at that age, Kristin had to be right, she had to have the last word.  I had a lot of fun at her expense. 

Kristin was a whiner. She would start whining about something, and I would say: "Doug and Wendy WHINER!" which was a take-off on a Saturday Night Live skit. Kristin HATED that. Broke her pretty quickly of whining. For no reason whatsoever, I started calling her: Mrs. Wiggins" which was a take off of a Carol Burnett character on her variety show. Tim Conway (another star on the show) would say: "How are you, Mrs. a Wiggins?" LOL. I know, it's stupid.  But, I still call her "Wiggins" or "Wiggy" today.   She was just so damn cute. 

We knew school was going to be a problem for us.  We put Kristin in pre-school at a local church school.  We got a phone call .  They wanted to advance Kristin into Kindergarten.  Ok we said.  Then they wanted to move her to first grade.  We said: "Maybe"  Then they recommended the new public school opening which had programs for bright kids like Kristin.  This school was the perfect fit for her.  Kristin advanced rapidly, and at her own pace throughout her grade school years.  I never remember her getting anything other than an "A" on a report card.  By this time, Kristin was smarter than both me and her mom....and I am serious. 

By this time, we had moved to Sebastian, and Kristin applied for, and was accepted into Sebastian's International Baccalaureate Program before it became all watered down. Only 17 students of the original class received their IB diploma.  This high intensity academic program paved the way into Vanderbilt University and the rest is history. 

I am so proud of my daughter, and I regret not being a better father to her.  She deserved better than I gave her for sure. Six years ago, she gave me my greatest gift ever received.  More on her tomorrow. 

GZ

Ft. Benning Memories

It"s Sunday,  so we had the day off.  I spent the day working on another project for the football staff.  We have these EXPENSIVE Porta-Phone headphones we use on game days.  These phones enable the coaching staff to communicate with each other (and the press box) on a noisy game night.  Each one of these headphones has a base unit which has rechargeable batteries.  We had these base units plugged in all over the place.  It was a confusing mess.  I made a charging cart so we can charge all the batteries and store the units in one location.  Only one A/C outlet will be needed.  This cart should make it easier for us to keep track of the headphones.  Tomorrow,  the kids do not have school, for it is a teacher work day.  We are giving the kids a day off from football tomorrow as well.  I love this idea, because I think the players will be refreshed and be ready to go on Tuesday.  Fresh legs usually means a good practice.  This day off will also get us back on schedule for our 20 Days in May  we are allowed during spring. 

I finally heard from my son Mike yesterday too.  He called me from Germany, and gave me a quick rundown on what is happening.  I really can't say more than this.  Mike's military career has changed the way I look at everything it seems.  Mike is a Cavalry Infantry soldier, and his job is no joke.  Mike is assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Stryker Unit based in Vilsek, Germany. After leaving college, Mike decided to enlist in the United States Army.  His entry scores allowed Mike to do just about anything in the Army, but Mike chose to be an Infantry Soldier.  Mike told me: "Dad, I spent the last 16 years of my life behind a desk in school, and I want to do something different!"  Boy, was this an understatement.  Mike was about to benefit from the "Lessons in Life" football taught him.

Mike came home from school, and we (him and I)  trained like a dog to get him ready for boot camp.  We ran and ran, and Mike did hundreds of push-ups and sit-ups to prepare for the unknown.  After a trip to see my father in Kentucky, I reluctantly dropped Mike off to the recruiting station in Bowling Green, KY.  By that evening, Mike reported to his MOS in Nashville, Tennessee.  Eventually, he reported to Ft. Benning, Georgia for basic training.  You will have to read his blog for stories about basic training, but I can give you a parent's view.  For me, it was hell.  I did my best to write letters and keep him motivated.  I would send pictures of his dog, I would sent movie quotes, I would send quotes from famous football coaches or famous people.  I would do anything to keep him on track.  I once wrote Mike a heartfelt letter saying that I was running every mile with him.   I was doing every sit-up or push-up with him. I was standing right behind him on every drill.  I was getting yelled at by the Drill Sergeant (DS)  too.  He was not alone.  I was there with him every step he took. 
I could almost feel the pain and/or jubilation Mike was experiencing.  The whole period was very surreal for me. 

Me and Kristin (and the baby) visited Mike during family day at Ft. Benning.  Kristin and I drove onto the base, and I got cold chills running down my body.  We walked up to his barracks and his Drill Sergeant (DS) welcomed us at the door.  After the door was opened, the barrel chested DS barked an order and every soldier dropped to the floor and started doing precision push-ups in unison.  The DS said to us:  "Go find your soldier"  Mike was all the way in the back of the barracks.  Finally, he could stand up and greet  me and Kristin.  I was shocked.  Was this really my son? 

Mike was tall and tanned.  His body was well muscled and tight.  His head was completely shaved.  He looked great in his green pants and light green shirt.  His belt buckle and his shoes were perfectly polished.  He looked every bit of the military man he was trying to be.  Then, he wanted me to meet his DS.  Now, lets get something straight.  I have met some famous coaches in my day; therefore, I have never been intimidated by meeting anyone....until now.   I shook hands with this man and looked him straight in the eyes.......... and I could see it.  Alpha Dog.  This guy could kill me at any time; however, this DS was also turning my son into a man.  I was so appreciative of this instructor.  Mike may have hated him, but I completely in awe of what he was trying to do.  Mike had specific orders on what he was allowed to do, and what he was not allowed to do.  He had exact orders on what time he was to return to base.  No exceptions.  Needless to say, we followed those orders.

 Here is a funny story.  During basic training, soldiers are not allowed to have any kind of candy or sweets.  When we picked Mike up for family weekend, all Mike wanted was a soda, and maybe some candy.  So, we visited a convenience store on base.  Mike gets out of the car all dressed up with his black beret on his head and walks into the store.  Mike mingles a little bit, and I see this older guy (obviously military in civilian clothing) walk straight up to Mike  and take the beret off his head.  I thought Mike was going to piss his pants!  This guy stares down Mike.  Mike nervously says to this man: "Sir, I am sorry.  This is my first time out since basic training."  Truthfully, I was even scared for Mike!  Luckily, this Officer was cool and let it go.  I later found out that the beret is never worn indoors.  Mike told me that this could have been real trouble for him. 

About six weeks later, it was time for Mike to graduate basic training.  Several family members drove to Ft. Benning to see this event.  We all went to this large staging area and grand stands to see the ceremony.  About this time, we hear fake bombs going off, fake machine gun fire, and up the hill comes our soldiers (dressed in Class A Uniforms)  marching with their unit.  There were hundreds of soldiers marching in perfect unison with their own DS barking cadence.  Since Mike was the tallest in the unit, he was right up front, and he was responsible for his group's alignment.  Tears flowed down my face as I watched my soldier.  FINALLY, it was time for the ceremony.  Once basic training is completed, an Infantry soldier is awarded a Lt. Blue Cord to be worn on his right shoulder along with a set of Brass Cross Rifles in a light blue base.  The Commanding Officer said during the ceremony that he would be honored to to personally pin the soldier with his Blue Cord, but the soldier could choose anyone he wished to perform this honor.  Mike pointed to the stands and asked me (with his eyes) to come pin the cord on his uniform.  I walked out of the stands (along with many other parents) and stood in front of my 6' 5" soldier.  Mike stuck out his hand to shake.  Deep in his palm was a set of Military Cross Rifles identical to the ones he was wearing.  Mike said: "Dad, you have earned these right along with me."  I was a great honor to pin the cord on my son.  Again, tears flowed down my face.  I was so proud of Mike. He was flying on his own.....without an overbearing father to push him.   Mike is my hero. 

More Tomorrow

Week is DONE

I arrived at the school about 30 minutes early to start getting the water situation taken care of.  Since we were scrimmaging on the big field, for the first time this year I iced down the battery operated water cows which we use for games.  I completely rebuilt both of these machines  last season, and this year they both received new batteries.  I also iced down the coil cooler for the home sidelines.  Bethel arrived and actually started dressing the field with yard markers, and boundary markers.  All the coaches arrived on-time and you could feel the anticipation in the air. This was a big day for all of us.

We ran a modified practice this morning before the scrimmage started.  This was to benefit the college scouts and the fans who were seeing this team for the first time.   We even ran a 7 on 7 drill before the scrimmage.  This was unusual...but fun.  I threw out a  'Dig' at Mason before we started scrimmage about being so taped up.  I said:  "looking kind of taped up there p _ _ _ y!  Mason is almost family, so I can get away with saying that!  Mason just smiled, and I could see the look in his eye....he was ready. Then, the Defense decided to walk across the field to the visitor's sideline.  By this time, I was getting amped up, so I started the verbal assault between coaches.  I fired the first one across the bow, and Miller and Perry quickly answers back.  I love doing this, and it is all in fun.  I love these guys. 

The scrimmage was pretty even.  The defense was really getting after us, but we still managed to move the ball.  We took the opening drive all the way down to the 1 yard line, and the defense stiffened and stopped us.  Both units went back and forth all day long, and we (as coaches) got a good look at some young players who may help us this year.  I am going to move on from writing about the scrimmage further.  Lets just say it was a good day.  Calvary Church had a nice lunch available for everyone after the scrimmage ended.  We all enjoyed it. 

 It was great to see our kicker today.  He has been out for a couple of weeks  due to an injury, but he was booming them today.  This player (a great soccer player too) has a tremendous leg, and he is a real asset to this team.  He puts most of the kickoffs through the endzone which means the opposing team always starts their offense on the 20 yard.  This is huge for us.  Besides, if this young dude misses the endzone, it just pisses him off ; therefore, he is not afraid to get the tackle on a breakaway.  Just a hard nosed kid who happens to be a kicker.  He wont need football to attend college, but he will be a D-1 quality kicker anyway.  Generally speaking, kickers area strange bunch.  Kickers generally practice by themselves and they all have their special rituals to get ready to kick.  Personally, I don't say a word to them before they kick.  I may say something like (keep your head down) after a miss, but that's about it.  Coach Wilson normally handles the kickers, so I just watch.  I am not jinxing anybody!

When I coached Panther Senior Football, I had a player named Larry who who was just a little bit.....off.  He just wanted to be part of the team and wear the uniform.  I discovered that Larry could really kick a football off a kicking tee.  Problem was that Larry ONLY wanted to kick, and that's it.  He would line up for a kickoff, kick the ball down field, and SPRINT directly off the field.  LOL, he truly did not know any better.  We would be on defense, and I would see Larry run onto the field.  I would say: "LARRY, where are you going?"  Larry would say: "COACH, I want to kick the ball!"  You just never knew when Larry would run onto the field.  I used to have Larry's friends Jamall, Tony, and Tiger help me monitor Larry. 

Jamall, Larry, Tony, and Tiger all lived in "musicland"  which was the neighborhood bordering my own.  I used to give the boys a ride to practice and bring them home again.  Then, I invited them into my home for lunch and let them swim in my pool.  That may have been a mistake. LOL.  The boys really had a great time playing and swimming in the large in-ground swimming pool.  I cooked out on the grill, and we had a nice day. I told the boys: "You guys can come back anytime (I am home) to swim!"  The next weekend, we played on-the-road in Melbourne.  We played that evening at 5pm; however, I was going to bring the boys up earlier so I could watch a few games.  I told all four boys to be ready in the morning.  At 6:30 am I hear the doorbell ring.  I open the door, and all four boys are standing there with all their equipment stuffed into their helmet..... dressed in their swimming trunks.  Larry says:  "COACH, we want to get in that pooooool!"  I said: "GUYS, its 6am in the morning, GO HOME!"  I assumed they went home, but they were sitting on my porch again at 8:30 am ready to swim. 

I will write more tomorrow.  Tired, going to bed. 
GZ

Calm Before The Storm

We got in another full practice again today.  We had the kids in helmets and shoulder pads for our final practice before our big scrimmage day tomorrow.  We had a good long Indy period and a good 7 on 7 period as well.  The offense had a better day, and we are making progress.  I have been really focusing on blocking by the running backs during the Indy period.  The defense is giving us different looks, so our blocking assignments can be a little confusing to a young running back.  Before practice,  I had the group inside the portable classroom for some board work: TALK IT, CHALK IT, then WALK IT.  It is amazing to see the "light" go on inside a player's eyes when he finally understands what you are trying to teach.  Coach Wilson always said:  "Some players learn on the (chalk) board!"  Some Players learn by watching!"  "Some players learn by doing!"  I am still learning how to coach from Coach Wilson, for he is the guru of offense, and other than my father, Coach Wilson has taught me more about coaching than anyone else.  Once again: "Lessons in Life." 

Some theories suggest that you must coach every player the same way; however, I am not sure I agree with that theory.  I definitely coach the "skill kids" differently.  I believe that these kids have enough pressure on them from the beginning (especially the QB's)  If they mess up, the whole stadium sees it.  That is pressure enough.  I will take this opportunity and let the player TELL ME what they did wrong.  This can be a powerful teaching moment. You will often here me say: "Lets talk football: Why are we doing it this way?"  Or: "OJ, why is it important we do not block this guy?"  I will listen to their explanation and make sure they completely understand what we are trying to accomplish.  Constantly screaming at a skill kid is (most times) counter productive and he loses concentration.  Next thing you know, he is jumping off sides or completely forgetting his assignments.  Now, I do get aggravated sometimes, and I will "go-off" occasionally.  Coach Miller likes to get me riled up every now and then.  I will usually just fire a verbal assault his way, and we both look at each other and laugh.  WCC. 

Offensive linemen are different for sure.  These are tough and gritty kids who need to stay motivated to perform well.  The coaching volume is amplified with this type of kid.  An offensive lineman can mess up and sometimes get away with it, until we look at film.  "The eye in the sky don't lie"  Our coaches will teach technique, and teach proper steps.  When the same mistake keeps happening over and over, the coaching volume is raised considerably.  Most times, this simply pisses off the lineman and he will end up crushing his opponent the next play.  I love these big-ole dudes up front, because without them, the offense does not happen....period. 

The defensive kids catch hell.  Sometimes they will just pin their ears back and come right at you.  Jefferson, Miller, and Perry will work their kids into a frenzy and turn them loose.  When we scrimmage, it usually takes a series or two before everything settles down.  I wish we could work the Offensive kids into a frenzy, but if we did that, we would never get a play off cleanly.  SOMEONE would jump the count on every play.  We have to be constantly thinking about assignments and snap counts.  We have to think about coverages and adjustments.  I LOVE offense, but I ENVY the defense.  It is going to be nice having those guys on OUR team this year. 

Full report tomorrow. 
GZ

Things are getting SPICY

We got in a full day today, with no threat of rain at all.  Even the mosquitoes were cooperating.  I worked with the new QB a little before practice.  I like the one on one time I can get with a player before practice when we get some premium reps on a specific item.  Today, I worked him on the read progression on his passing routes.  Then, while Miller ran stretch,  I prepared for our "Score Period and Indy.   Remember the boys who went home early yesterday?  Well, Randy had them running 400 yards of "Catch-Ups" to make sure they got the message.  I don't think this will happen again.  What is a catch-up?  Our fields are marked every five yards.  A player starts from the end zone, and he does a 'down-up' (while running the length of the field) on every line.  That is 20 'down-ups' per 100 yards.  This tends to get their attention.  While Randy ran catch-ups, Me, Washington and Willis,  ran the score period.  Good stuff.  Randy and I ran a nice combined  INDY period with the focus on the passing game.  Then, we went right to 7 on 7 passing period.  The defense is really playing fast, so it is frustrating the offense right now.  When frustration sets in, things get a little spicy on both sides of the ball.  It was a fun day. 

I just read an article about high school football on a website.  I guess not all schools have ideal facilities for the football program.  We are pretty lucky at SRHS, for we have it pretty good compared to some schools.  We have a nice on campus stadium, good practice fields, and a good weight room.  Not all schools have this advantage.   Some schools must share a city facility; therefore, they arrive at the stadium on buses just like everyone else. I today's world, if a program is really good, they will get a Nike sponsorship and play on a national platform.  This means BIG MONEY for the football program, and this type of program always has the finest of everything.  There is a real difference between the "Haves" and the "Have-Nots." 

When I was a kid, we lived in Atlanta, Georgia for two years.  There was a football league around the area called The Atlanta Youth Conference (AYC.)  The AYC consisted of many leagues around the greater Atlanta area such as: Atlanta Colts, Glenwood Hills Panthers, Gresham, Tucker and many others.  Each league was divided into specific weight divisions.  85 Lbs, 95 LBS, 115 lbs and 125 Lbs.  Each weight division had 200-300 kids trying out for 35 roster spots to play on a CONFERENCE team.  A conference team was the best of the best of all the kids trying out.  The rest of the kids  (who did not make a conference team) were divided up and placed on regular intramural teams inside the league.  I was fortunate enough to play for the 115 lb Conference Team for the two years I lived in Glenwood Hills. 

The conference teams were state funded.  We even had our brand new stadium to play in.   We traveled around the state playing ball each weekend.  The conference teams had the best equipment, the best uniforms, and brand new helmets every year.  We had cold-weather gear, and our own team trainer. We were always on the road, (out of state) every Thanksgiving.  Football was a serious business and we were expected to play well or be cut from the team.  If a conference coach needed some help at a position due to cuts or injuries, he would take who he wanted from the intramural league.  I remember feeling bad for the intramural kids.  Here I was (11 - 12 years old) with this brand-new equipment, brand new shoes, brand new uniforms, and cold weather suede parkas, and these kids would have old uniforms and old equipment to play in. This is when I realized that if you were a good football player, you would be treated differently..... good or bad. 

When I was the Football Coordinator for the Sebastian, Panthers, I invited a few of the old AYC leagues down here to play in our Turkey Bowl tournament on thanksgiving weekend.  They arrived by bus, and it was a major disappointment for me.  The AYC had really slipped, and it was no where near the quality it used to be.  In fact, they hd combined leagues to make an all-star team to play in our weekend tournament.  Truthfully, I was glad when they left. 

More Tomorrow. 

Making Progress

We have had a few days of bad luck with weather recently.  Before arriving at school, I was listening to an Orlando radio station saying that heavy rain and thunderstorms were passing through town and heading  southeast.  I sort of knew we were going to get some rain later in the afternoon. We were forced indoors at 4PM.  We waited around and finally got back on the field at 5pm.  We actually got in 45 minutes of good work.  We had a few players who thought we were washed out and left the facility.  Bad move.  I guess Randy will handle this tomorrow.  Weather is a real problem in Florida during the spring and summer.  It could be absolutely pouring down rain in one place, and be absolutely clear a few blocks away.  I tell the kids:  "Never, Never assume we will not be practicing because of weather.  Always come to practice and lets us deal with it!" 

I hate when it rains before practice.  When the sun comes out, the whole place turns into a giant sauna.  Our practice fields are not exactly covered in shade; in fact, the only shade is the available is the little tiny ray of shade provided by our aluminum tower.  Other than this, it might as well be the Mohave desert.  Also, after the rainfall,  the mosquitoes (our State Bird) are really bad sometimes.  As we walk in the grass, these big black clouds of mosquitoes rise from the ground and swarm our legs and arms.  It looks funny when all the players and coaches are standing in grass and swatting their legs; however, mosquitoes are no joke.  I remember a few years ago, the entire state of Florida was put on a (I am going to do my best to spell this) Encephalitis warning.  We were forced to move all of our games to the early afternoon....or on Saturday.  Encephalitis is spread by mosquito bites, so the State put the cabash on all night games for a month or so.  Also, I notice the darn Love Bugs are swarming again.  They do not bite; however, they are very annoying and messy.  I hope the maintenance people keep our grass cut short for awhile.  The main practice field drains pretty well, and the band field drains REALLY well.  The 3rd practice field drains like a wet sponge.  I wish it did drain better,  because the field is the nicest one we have.  Life in Florida.  Sounds Glorious huh? 

Back home in Kentucky, the football fields used to freeze in the fall.  We would practice in the falling rain on our field; thus creating gouges and ruts in the dirt.  Then, if we had a cold front move through, the ground would freeze.  Walking on the field was like walking on large gravel.  I used to hate even walking on frozen fields, much less running.  Being tackled on a frozen field was misery.  Our arms and legs would start bleeding from the frozen dirt clods, and then the blood would freeze over.  No one cared if  you were bleeding back then; in fact, bleeding was encouraged because it made you look tougher, LOL.  Now days, after the first sign of blood, the trainer will pull a player out of the practice or game and dress the wound.  The very real fear of A.I.D.S has changed the world forever.  I remember when Professional Wrestlers used to "GIG" themselves with razor blades to make their foreheads bleed.  Guys like, Dusty Rhodes, Terry Funk, Dory Funk, Harley Race, and my man RIC FLAIR used to bleed like crazy during a match.  With all the body to body contact among the wrestlers, it is amazing that more of these athletes did not have more problems. 

Later.
GZ

RECRUITING

Lightning and rain got us again today.  We started practice as usual, and we got in about half of it.  We rushed through stretch and Indy, and we could see the rain coming.  Coach Bethel called up the team for a spirited "Inside Run" and 1/2 line scrimmage.  I love the inside run, for this is what I cut my teeth on.  I am focusing my Indy period (for the backs) on blocking drills and just being physical.  Coach Miller and I  have an unspoken agreement.  He knows I have a few young wingbacks,  so I asked that he purposely misalign his LB's to see how the wingbacks would react.  Truthfully, it did not really matter.  His outside LB's are so talented that they can misalign and still make a play.   It is great to see such a good group of defensive players.  They are sure flying around the ball.  Miller had done a great job this Spring. 

I have never seen so many college recruiters in my life.  We have several players who could possibly play football at the next level, so the colleges are coming out of the woodwork.  This is definitely "prime time" for college recruiting.  All of the colleges are done with their own spring training, so their coaches are on the road for most of May to see high school players from all over the country.  We have one player- a defensive player,  who is a true blue-chip prospect.  We are seeing recruiters from all over the country stop by to see this player practice.  It is great to see SRHS get some exposure. 

Our head Coach is Randy Bethel.  Randy is a local boy who starred at Vero Beach High School, and earned a scholarship to the University of Miami.  Randy played for Miami (The U ) when they were the most feared,and most talented team in college football.  Bethel has two National Championship rings to prove it.  Randy was recruited by Butch Davis, and he played for Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson during the late 80's and early 90's.  His teammates are a virtual Who's-Who of fantastic college and professional football players including: Michael Irvin, Randy Shannon, Vinnie Testaverde, and on and on.  I love to listen to the old Miami football stories that Randy tells every so often, and he drops these names like it's no big deal.  If you have not already done so, go get an ESPN copy of 30 on 30 and look for the episode called "The U."  It pretty much tells the story. 

Bethel has mellowed over the years, but he can still throw-down if he has to.  I can see the intensity that he undoubtedly  showed to earn a scholarship, and I will bet he was a real handful back then.  I often wonder if Bethel's coaching style is modeled after any particular coach, or if he modeled himself after a mixture of coaches.  Afterall, Randy played ball for some of the best coaches in the business.  Sometimes, I really feel for our Tight Ends.  Bethel played tight end in college, and I am sure he was a play maker as well.  I can see "the look" in Randy's eyes when our tight ends miss a pass, or miss a block. LOL.  Hey BETHEL, we all did not play at "THE U!" 

More Tomorrow. 

GZ

LIGHTNING!

Today is Monday, we were supposed to begin our practice week today,; however, we were not able to get in a practice because of weather.  The rain and lightning in the area was severe. I noticed it clouding up a little before practice, but it's been so long since we had any rain, I did not think anything about it.  We got the water out as usual, and I spent some 1 on 1 time with the QB in the player's portable going over formations and such.  We walked out onto the field at 2:58 pm ready to go.  Next thing I know, Hillary blows the whistle and orders everyone off the field.  Lightning was in the area.  Hillary has this specialized equipment (actually, every public school has this equipment) which measures the air for lightning.  If there is lightning in the area, this thing will pick it up.  From this point, we MUST get all the kids off the field and under cover.  No exceptions.  Every time her machine goes off, it means another 30 minute delay.  Usually, there is a rain storm associated with the lightning too.  This is one of the new innovations I am glad to see come about.  We used to not worry about rain and lightning.  I remember when I first started with SRHS, we were standing on the practice field while it was pouring down rain and lightning was everywhere.  Then, CRACK, a lightning bolt struck the goal post upright.  EVERYONE sprinted indoors.  I think that may have been the last time we ever played with the devil. 

Florida is known as the lightning capital of the world.  During the summer, the afternoon thunderstorms roll in between 2pm and 4pm everyday, so practice is often compromised.  Actually, it's kind of aggravating.  In Florida, we do not get the big weather fronts that states up north get.  Usually, the thunderstorms come and go quickly; however, the fast-moving storms are often vicious.  Believe me, if it is pouring down rain, and there is no lightning is in the area, we are on the field.  There is nothing "cool" about practicing in the rain.  It is miserable for the kids, and it is miserable for the the coaches too; nevertheless, we must do it.  God never promised every game day would be clear and dry, so we must prepare for it.  We worry about hamstring injuries, and we worry about groin pulls etc... during this time.  Slipping and sliding on a muddy field is not so fun.  In Florida, after a big rain, we often get these large puddles of water in the swales and ditches.  When I was a young coach, it was aways a chore trying to keep the young boys out of these huge pools of water.  The players would start running and dive into the pools head first....equipment and all.

 At least the water (in the swales) is relatively clean right after a rain.  I remember back when I was a high school football player in Kentucky. Our Head Coach played ball at Western High School in Louisville, KY.  We played Western, HS that year, and of course, coach was primed to beat his Alma Mater.  We traveled clear across town and got out butts beat 28-0.  The bus ride was dead silent as we traveled back to school.  After we arrived back home, I watched our coach walk up to the school, and start unraveling a huge water hose. He dragged the hose across the parking lot into a dirt drainage area behind the school and hooked it to a fire hydrant.   All Coach said to us was: "Practice tomorrow morning 8am."  That's it.  This would be the first time we ever practiced on a Saturday morning in full gear. 

We arrived for practice at 7:30 am.  We looked out back, and the dirt drainage area looked like a small lake.  It also looked like someone had driven through the area with a car or truck to really muddy the water.  We stretched as usual, but the atmosphere was dead silent.  Coach blows the whistle to end the stretching period, and we surrounded the coach (as usual) to get our orders for the day.  Coach said: "Since we play like pigs, we will practice like pigs!"  For the next hour and a half, we ran Oklahoma drills in the muddy water.  In some areas of the make-shift mud hole, the water was over a foot deep.  I remember being on the bottom of a pile and just about drowning  because my head was buried face down in the mud and water.  I remember holding my breath and struggling like crazy to get up.  I bet that I would have been the first football player in history to actually DROWN playing football.  I will never forget that day, and I will never forget that practice.  It was absolute misery.  Needless to say, Coach got his point across.  Today, if we (as coaches) ever pulled something like that,  it would be front page news, and we would all be looking for a job. 

Hopefully, tomorrow will be dry. 

GZ

DAY OFF.....or Is It?

Today is Sunday, and we had the day off.  So, why did I spend about an hour and half up at the field?  Sunday's are a good day for me to get some miscellaneous work done that I can't get done during the week.  I needed to check on our ice machine again today.  Yesterday, I noticed the machine was not running and the ice level was getting low.  I checked the circuit breaker, and it was tripped.  I flipped it back into position, and the ice machine fired back up.  Why did it trip in the first place?  I have my suspicions, but I notice that it is VERY hot in the Ice Room.  I think the darn thing is overheating.  Ice is so important to us right now, and we use a lot of it.  I would hate to lose it. 

Next, I decided to clean out the disgusting refrigerator in the coaches portable.  In an earlier posting on this blog, I talked about how we still had food left from LAST SEASON in the fridge.  So, I grabbed a large trash can and pulled it into our portable.  I opened the refrigerator door and started throwing EVERYTHING away.  Truthfully, it was sort of a trip down memory lane.   I threw away some homemade Mexican food that Big G's mom made for us last September.  We had some old cake pops that Marty made for us sometime last fall, and I threw away countless jars of peanut butter, jelly, mustard, ketchup, butter bowls, bread, and BBQ sauce.  I threw away half containers of sports drinks, water, cool aid, and soda.  Some of the stuff had rotted into a sticky goo in the very bottom  (under the drawers) of this old refrigerator.  Remnants of old roaches littered the entire box.  LOL.  After throwing away all this food, I unplugged it and went to work.  BLEACH, BLEACH and more bleach.  After about and hour of cleaning, the old fridge looked and smelled decent again.  I was sort of proud of myself.  Now, we can start loading it up again. 

Some of you may be asking what is a portable?  Our portables (we have 2) are mobile classroom that once housed students.  I would guess that each portable measures (20' x 40') When the school system stopped using ours, they gave them to us.  Actually, they are perfect for what we need.  We have these large "white boards" mounted on two walls (to diagram plays and so forth) and a huge meeting table in the center of the room.  We have video equipment and a large screen in this room as well.  We gather here to watch video of different events.  We also have coach's lockers, and a small storage area in this building.  This air-conditioned building sure feels good after a long day on the field.  This room is sort of our base-of-operations for the football team.  The practice field is right outside the back door, and the stadium is just outside out front door.  Yes, us coaches are disgusting, and our room may not be the cleanest in the world, but this is OUR ROOM and we like it. 

Back to work tomorrow. 

GZ

Are you HURT, or are you INJURED?

Today is Saturday, and we had a normal practice this morning.  I got there a little early so I could finish the repair on Hillary's (our trainer) air mister.  This machine is pretty cool, but it is heavy and cumbersome to move around.  Basically, it is a large fan with a water pump pushing water mist in front of the wind stream.  The water feels good as it evaporates on your skin on a hot day....like today!  Hillary usually wants to bring it out for early practices and on game days.  I repaired the wheels and asked one of my water guys to wheel it out to the sidelines.  We plugged it up, and it ran just fine.  We scrimmaged for about an hour this morning.  We were missing a few players (on offense) this morning, so we used some younger kids during the scrimmage.  The defense was flying around pretty good; however, we saw some good stuff on both sides of the ball.  There was the usual "jaw jacking" between the offensive coaches and the defensive coaches, and the scrimmage was spirited.  Truthfully, I usually throw the first verbal assault toward the defense, and Coach Miller usually answers back.  Then, the kids get into it.  I like when that happens! We have a young rising junior player who is going to be fun to watch.  He starts on defense and he is a backup QB as well.  This kid is going to be one of the best athletes to ever come out of this county.  I love working with this young man. So talented!  

Speaking of Hillary.  She is the full time trainer for the school.  She probably has more power than any head coach, because if Hillary says a football player can't play, guess what?  He can't play.  The safety of the player will always come first.  In an earlier posting, I talked about dehydration and how the old-school coaches used to deal with it (Salt Tablets)  Hillary posted these damn "piss signs" in front of every urinal and toilet in the locker rooms.  As you are standing there urinating, you are supposed to notice the color of your urine.  Dark is bad, it means your body is dehydrated.  Light or clear is good,   it means your body is hydrated.  You are supposed to compare the color of your urine with the signs posted at the urinal.  Truthfully, the signs do work.  I was more than a little worried about Hillary yesterday.  We were running a fierce blocking and tackling drill during practice, and she got a little close to the action.  We had a breakout ball carrier, and the defense was chasing....right into Hillary.  I saw the boys roll her legs up like a newspaper.  It looked nasty, but she got right up.  Randy and I ran over to her, but she said it was OK.   I could tell in her eyes that it did hurt her, but she never let on..  Came into work this morning limping a little bit.  Must be an ELON thing! 

Hillary has this medical golf cart she drives to the practice field.  It has a small flat bed (like a pickup truck) mounted on the back.  I call her vehicle the "Death Cart"   You never want to see a player hanging around Hillary's cart, for it usually means he will come out of there with a bag of ice strapped somewhere on his body.  Is the player HURT or is he INJURED?  Fact is that every player probably hurts somewhere on his body during the season.  Playing hurt is supposed to be part of the game.  Being hurt means you can still play.  Examples of being hurt would be a bruise, or maybe a blister on your foot. Being INJURED is different.  Examples of an injury would be a broken bone or a torn ACL.   Usually, an injury will mean missed practice time or perhaps a missed game or two.  Maybe worse.   I usually tell the kids to stay away from the cart unless they ABSOLUTELY cannot practice further.  In all fairness to Hillary, she cannot make a quick judgement of the severity of a problem without testing, so she usually errs on the side of caution.  She will not let the player practice further until she evaluates the problem.  Sometimes the sideline will look like a hospital waiting room. 

More tomorrow. 
GZ

Pad Popping!

There is something magical about the first day in pads.  Today, we began the process of separating the men form the boys (to use and old cliche)  As usual, it is always interesting to see the kids as they dress out in full equipment for the first time.  Some of the kids just look good in equipment....period.  We had the usual issues with players not being familiar with the equipment, and the usual missing mouth pieces, but all in all it was a good day.  I had a great surprise today.  John Calhoun (University of Miami) and JD Pierce (Webber) visited practice and helped me out with the RB's.  I loved the help.  It was great to see JD.  He blew out the ACL on his knee early in his senior year; therefore, he really missed the entire season.  The surgeons did a great job, and he is playing college ball right now.  Big John played 5 years ( at fullback) for Miami, and he is starting law school in the fall.  I got PAID today.  Every coach will understand what I just said. 

I worked the QB's and RB's during our "Indy" or individual period.  I love the Indy period, and I usually get in some good teaching during this period.  This is my time to develop a good working relationship with the kids.  Not much yelling going on during this period.  Usually, all you here is the voices of the coaches instructing the players on technique.  We follow the practice plans pretty closely.  Before practice, Bethel will give each coach a practice plan for the day.  The entire practice is usually divided into different periods which will begin exactly on time.  In our case (the offense) we have specific plays of the day which we will usually introduce during our Indy period.  When we come together as "unit"  the entire unit will be up to speed on what we are trying to accomplish for the day.  A practice plan looks something like this: 

2:45 Pre-Practice
3:00  Team Stretch
3:20:  Score/pursuit
3:30  Indy
3:50  Together
4:00  Special teams
4: 20  7 on 7  Passing
4:45  Unit O / Unit D
5:05  TEAM O vs Team D
5:30  Off 

Each section of the practice plan has specific instructions for each position.  When we come together as "TEAM" the entire offensive series is scripted.  The practice times MAY vary a little bit, but it is usually pretty close.

I hate to cut this short, but I am falling asleep at the keyboard.  We scrimmage in the morning.  I will write something good  tomorrow. 

GZ 

Day 3. Working HARD.

Today ended our third day in just shorts and helmets.  Tomorrow, we will strap it up and see who really wants to play.  Four of our coaches Wilson, Perry, Jefferson, and Fleming will not be here the rest of the week.  They went to the state track meet with four of our student/athletes.  Since we are so short-handed, the remaining coaches had to really pick up the slack left by their absence.  Luckily, most of us have coached multiple positions, so it was no big deal....for a couple of practices.  We just had to coach a little harder.  Today, the kids seemed to sense that we were short-handed,  and I noticed some of the Seniors helping to fill in the void.  We may have found some leadership today.  Miller is doing a great job with the defense.  Those guys are really flying around the ball. This time of year, we expect the defense to be ahead of the offense, and they are right now.  On offense, we are working on timing things, and bringing the JV kids up to speed; consequently, it just takes a little more time.  We will get there.  We always do. 

I remember my first Spring with Sebastian River High School (SRHS.)  I was coaching for the Sebastian Panthers, and the head coach (at the time) at SRHS used to come down and watch practices. He asked me to join his staff the following year.  One week later he was fired.  SRHS offered the job to Randy Bethel, and the rest is history.  Bethel assigned me to the JV staff.  I was working with / for Dan Smith the JV Head Coach.  I did not know Coach Smith at all, but we sure seemed to hit it off right away (it's a Kentucky thing.) Dan was a defensive guy without a doubt, and he wanted me to run his offense.  I was way ahead of the game, because I bought most of my former players from the Panther Senior Team with me to the JV team.  I already knew the kids, and I knew where they needed to play.  Coach Smith gave me full run of the offense; moreover, he never put any restraints on me whatsoever.  Dan had a couple of plays a year that he liked to run, and I would install those plays just for him.  I usually named the plays after him as well:  The play would always have the name "Smitty" associated with it.  Smitty had a real feel for when he wanted to see "His Plays" during a game,and I would call the play without hesitation.  I liked watching Dan when the plays were successful.

I worked with Smitty for several years, and we had some really good teams.  Dan usually gave me one time-out to use (per half) as I thought necessary; however, I would always ask before I called it.  Sometimes, if I was stuck on a tough offensive call, I would ask: "DAN, what do you want here?"  He would always say: "A Touchdown" and smile.  I would always say: "Thanks a lot!"   We worked together so well that we never really had to communicate verbally in some cases.  He would give me that look and I would say: "OK, I got it!"  More often than not, we would be on the same page with our thinking. 

I am going to bed now.  Like PETEY, I need to sleep!

GZ

Day 2: Hey, Thats Why They Call it Coaching!

Not too bad today.  Offensively, we reviewed what we worked on yesterday, and we added some new stuff for today.  Miller and I both agreed that we are coaching pretty hard right now, and the kids are soaking it up and learning fast.  We have the task of getting last year's JV team up-to-speed with what we do at this level.  Although both teams run the same basic system, the speed at the varsity level is much faster.   Even as a coach, it is an adjustment  to how you look at the game in live time.  Coach Bethel used to say to me: "Man, you miss a lot!"  At the JV level, an offensive coach tends to look at the offense as a whole ....sort of a wide view of the game.  At the varsity level, you are supposed to be watching your specific position, and able to make adjustments if necessary.  Now days, Randy will give you that look, and I will say: "Yeah, I saw it too coach!"  The senior kids generally know what is happening, so I tend to coach specifics to the older boys.  I spend a lot of time coaching fundamentals to the younger kids.  You must balance the two strategies, and make sure the older kids get the reps they need to get ready for the season.  Luckily, I have some early experience in coaching fundamentals to younger kids. 

When I was between coaching gigs at Vero and Sebastian River High School (SRHS,) I coached in the Sebastian Panther League for a couple of seasons.  It was my dream to coach my own son while he was still young.  I was the Head Coach for the 9-10 year old kids (Mighty Mites)  I have a good friend (Tom Hall) who helped me out.  We had a decent group of kids that year.  They were not especially big, nor were they especially talented, but I noticed they played together very well.  Might be interesting I thought. 

There was an advantage to having a QB as a son.  I got to take my QB home with me every night; therefore, the learning curve for my QB was reduced greatly because I could introduce new plays and work with him at home.  When I got to practice, I could really focus on the rest of the offense to quickly bring everyone else up to speed on what we were doing.  These kids were not a typical mighty mite team.  They were basically running a high school based offense (Wing-T) along with some Pro-Set (2 back split and some I formation)  We would overwhelm many of our more-talented opponents by running so many different offensive formations which they would-not or could-not adjust to.  It was pretty sweet. These were still young boys who were really playing above their heads.  Early in the season, we played the weaker teams, so motivating the kids was not always necessary; however, when we played the stronger more-talented teams, I had to bring the kids up for the game that particular week.  I used to dream of ways to motivate the kids.

Early in the year, we played a team from Titusville on the road.  We started the season with 2 games at home, so this was our first road trip.  I filled a 5 gallon pail with dirt from our home field (the dirt we used to fill holes in the field) Right before we went onto the field, I asked that each boy grab a handful of dirt, and as we walked onto the field from the endzone, I wanted them to sprinkle the dirt onto Titusville's home field.  This way, we would be playing on our own dirt.  I remember their coach was pretty pissed off as he and his team watched our kids throw dirt onto the field.  He tried to use it as a motivational thing for his team, but it was too late.  He made a crucial mistake by taking the field first and allowing us to make a big entry onto his home field.  If the coach is reading this blog, always remember: NEVER, NEVER allow the visiting team to dictate when the HOME team takes the field.

One game, we were playing The Rockledge Raiders "B" team (some of the larger leagues had multiple teams in one division.)  They were 4-0 at the time, and we were 4-0 at the time too.  A big showdown on-the-road was looming.  I got on my computer and created a Rockledge Raider Letterhead and wrote each player a short letter and mailed it to their house.  I can't remember the exact wording, but it went something like this: 

Dear Sissy,
You guys are a bunch of Sissys.  We think you wear pink girls underwear, and you cry when you get knocked down.  We are going to whip you on Saturday.
Signed
Rockledge Raider Mighty Mites

You get the drift.  I showed up for our final practice before the game and each player had that letter in his hand.  Each player was just fuming bout it.  The parents just rolled their eyes.   I collected each letter and put in my gym bag.  The next day, right before we hit the field, I dumped all the letters on the ground, and I invited the players to STOMP on the nasty letters.  They tore into the letters, and they tore into the other team as well.  We left with a record of 5-0. 

Now this created a problem.  What do I do now?  How can I bring these over-achievers back up to play West Melbourne?  I decided to send a UPS package to the practice field.  In this package, I placed some baby diapers, hair ribbons (etc)  and let the kids open the package.  Of course, the package had: Property of West Melbourne Football written all over it.  Again, this sent the kids into a rage.  Some of the boys were so angry they literally tore up the diapers and left the mess laying on the sidelines.  This was one mess I did not mind personally picking up.   We easily beat West Melbourne the next day.  We were 6-0.  One more win and we would guarantee being home for the playoffs. 

My dad was a master of getting players ready to play football.  I remember when he was still coaching the Packers, Dad called us together before the game and informed that the Rams (our arch enemy) held a pep rally the evening before.  During this Pep Rally they BURNED a Packer jersey and totally disrespected us.  I think my Dad had tears in his eyes and everything.  It worked.  We beat the Rams for the league championship.  When Dad started coaching at the high school level, he had an assistant head coach (Coach C.) who was going to the doctor for a heart checkup or something.  Dad told the players that Coach C. was having heart surgery, and before entering the operating room, Coach C whispered into my dad's ear:  "Tell the boys to win for ole Coach C"  I think the team beat a large catholic school that day.  Coach C was at the next practice.  As you can see, I do get it honest. 

Next up was Merritt Island.  They were a loaded team. This means that when  league has more than one team in a division, they will often (and legally) make one good all-star team with the older boys, and keep the younger boys on a "B" team.  Their team was much bigger, much stronger, and way more athletic than we were.  Their only loss (that season)  thus far was to the Rockledge "A" team. How was I going to get my bunch of over-achievers ready to play in a game we had no business winning? Whatever it was, it had better be good.

 I needed something that the boys could relate to.  They were too young for the "Win one for the Gipper" story, so I started thinking.  I had a customer in Stuart who's little boy just broke his arm playing outside.   They placed a large green fiberglass cast on the arm.  That's it. Other than that, there was no other relationship between these two stories.  I will do my best to keep the story straight as you read it.  My words will be in RED, and Petey's words will be in Green.  This is written exactly like I told the story to the kids. 

The Legend of Petey.

I have a customer in Stuart, and I had to measure some windows in her house.  I walked into a bedroom to measure the opening. The first thing I see is a poster of Dan Marino.  I also saw a small plastic football resting on the dresser:  I said to the mother: "Someone in this house is a football fan!"  I heard a little soft voice coming from the big bed on the other side of the room: "That would be me!"  I walked over to the bed, and I saw a little tiny frail-looking little boy laying there.  I said to the boy:" What is your name?"  The little boy said: "My name is Pete, but everyone calls me Petey!"   I said: Well, I am glad to meet you Petey, my name is Coach George!"  The little boy said:  "Why do they call you "Coach George?"   I started telling Petey about you guys, and how proud I am of this football team, and how we were playing Merritt Island this weekend for the championship.  Petey said:  REAL FOOTBALL?"  I said: YES.  Petey said: "I would give anything to play REAL football, but I can't play because I am sick. My bones break real easy!"   I said: "I will tell you what.  When we beat Merritt Island,  I am going to have the boys sign a football, and I am bringing it back to you!"  Petey said:  "A REAL FOOTBALL?  I don't have a real football, just a plastic one.  My Mom does not have much money, and she says that I really don't need a good one right now!"  I said:  "Yes son, a real football."  Petey said:  "That would be so neat."  The little boy said: "Mom, I am getting tired, I need to sleep!"  I said good bye and turned for the door.  Petey said: "Coach, go and beat that Merritt Island!"   Then, Petey fell asleep. 

As I was leaving the house, Petey's Mom explained that he had a bone disease which made his bones very brittle.  If fact, they often break as they rolled him over in bed.  This disease was very painful, and it would eventually take his life.  I left with tears in my eyes. 

I told the boys that we were going to sign the game ball with a white marker and I was giving it to Petey.  I had some little round, gold stickers, and I took a magic marker and printed a P-12 on each sticker.  We were placing these stickers on our helmets, and Petey would be playing WITH US, as the 12th man.  FINALLY,  Petey will walk again and play REAL FOOTBALL!  We are going TO WIN THIS GAME FOR PETEY!!!!!  By this time, I was really emotional.  The boys went absolutely crazy.  They yelled and screamed for Petey! 

I looked up and all the mothers and grandmothers were crying.  Most of the fathers and grandfathers all had to walk away because they were so emotional.  The other coaches had to step away to gather themselves (I never bothered to tell them the truth.)  I knew the story was powerful, but I had no idea of the magnitude of the story.  Tom Hall was very choked up.  I was going to tell Tom about my fabrication, but he got so emotional I could not get the words out. 

We went out and played nearly a perfect game that day.  The boys were making tackles, and looking up into the sky and screaming:  "That's for you PETEY!"  I forgot the final score, but we won the game.  The kids went crazy, and the crowd went crazy.  The boys signed the game ball and I took it home promising to give it to Petey the next day. 

I took the ball home and tossed it into the attic. 

By the next week, the story grew it's own legs.  It just got bigger and bigger.  We had team mother's wanting to take up a collection.for Petey's  mother.  Coach Tom Hall wanted to bring Petey to the next game by special ambulance.  The Cheerleaders made these special  homemade cards for Petey!   Linda Rothstein (The Press Journal) wanted a story on Petey.  It just got too big, I was really stuck now.  Petey had to go. 

I spent the next week preparing for the Final game....The Super Bowl.  We were playing Rockledge' "A" team who was very powerful and undefeated (in fact, this was the nucleus of the high school team who won the state championship a few year's later.)  That week, I fended off all questions about Petey, and I tried to focus on the game; however, I had a plan to end it all. 

Game Day:  I gathered the players together for a pre-game speech.  I had quite an audience surrounding me as I began to speak.  I announced that Petey did not make it.  He passed away with his game ball under his arm.  I wanted them to keep the P-12 on their helmets, and play this game for Petey.  This was a bad, bad mistake.  Instead of being motivated, the kids were devastated.  We played like crap and lost to a superior team. 

Thus, this is the legend of Petey.  Was this wrong?  YES!  Would I do it again if needed?  Maybe!  It was a powerful legendary story which is still talked about today.  Most of the players are now in their mid 20's.  Most of the guys figured out the truth many year's ago. If any of you guys are just now reading the truth, I am sorry!  LOL.   My son Mike figured it out like this:  I sent Mike into the attic to look for Christmas lights.  He moves a few boxes and I hear: "HEYYYYY, what's the Petey ball doing up here?"  

I may just burn in hell after all.  LOL