DAY OFF.....NOT!

 

 

The NATURE BOY....Ric Flair

"Space Mountain May Be Getting Old, But It Still has The Longest Lines" 

 

 

As you may have noticed, I have this obsession with RIC FLAIR.  I don't know why, but I have always thought Flair was cool.  Anyway, I guess Coach Miller shares the same feelings about Flair as I do.  We have incorporated the Flair (WHOOOOOOO!) in our team stretch routine.  At anytime during our stretch, Miller will yell: "Give me two claps and a NATURE BOY!"  The kids will all yell: "WHOOOOOO!"  I have been known to do the "Ric Flair Strut" occasionally at the same time.  LOL.  My son Mike would LOVE this! 

 

 

 

"Two Claps And A NATURE BOY" 

 

 

 

Today is Sunday, and I am exhausted.  We have a Tropical Storm passing through the state today, so it was darker-than-normal outside this morning.  My body alarm did not go off, and I actually got to sleep in a little this morning.  Even though this is Sunday, I am not off for the day.  We had an offensive meeting this afternoon at Randy's house, and it turned out to to be a three hour session.  We are in full game preparation right now, and it is pretty intense.  I am not going into our game plan right now, and I am not going to talk much about what we are doing.  However, I came home from the meeting and told Marty:  I have work to do on the computer.  I spent the evening looking at video and charting, working on wristbands etc....   Oh yes, the life of a coach is so glamorous. 

 

This is going to be a miserable week on the field.  I am sure our practice fields are going to be soaking wet, which means our feet will stay wet all week long.  I hate this.  Wet shoes and wet socks are the worst part of coaching for me.  I am a product of the old school way of thinking, so I only wear white socks on the field...period.  I will pack my truck with at least two pairs of clean socks and a change of shoes everyday this week.  I want no part of Athlete's Foot ever again.  I was taught to always take care of my feet. During football season, I am washing a lot more white clothes than normal, and all my whites smell like bleach as well.  With all of the rain, I am sure the mosquitoes will be out in force this week too.  So, I will put a can of "OFF" in my truck to spray my legs (and the player's legs) this week.  

 

After we ran out of time on Friday night, I was not in the best of moods when I got home.  I knew I was in for a long night, so I was crabby for sure.  Marty usually leaves me alone for my "pity party"  as she calls it. I really do not want to talk about anything for awhile, and I most-often spend the night second-guessing myself and worrying about how I acted on the field.  Did I embarrass myself?  Did I embarrass my family?  Did I let our team down?  Did I let down my coaching associates?  What would I have done differently?  Who may be angry with me?  I wonder If I will be rehired next season?  Do I even belong with these guys?  These type of questions haunt me after every loss.  I usually can't sleep until I work them out in my head.  Eventually, I let it all go and move on to the next game.  I am sure that our team losing is no fun for my family either. 

 

I am bouncing around here a little....I am sorry.  On Saturday, we had our Fantasy Football Draft over at Coach Wilson's house.  We have a great league, and Draft day is so much fun.  We have a large 12 team league, and all the owners are Coaches, Teachers, or Administrators.  The Co-Owner of my team (The Assassins) is Eric Luke...Marty's son.  I took Eric with me to the draft, and we picked the team together. Today, we shared our resources with Coach Miller (The Mudcats) and we end up chillin most of the afternoon.  It was a good day. 

 

I got paid again yesterday...unexpectedly at the fantasy draft.  Way back when I was a young buck football coach, I coached this young skinny kid named Dariyall Brown.  Remember, this is when I was really cranking as a young, intense, brash football coach, and I was sort of controversial at the time; however, the boys lined up wanting to play for me.  Today, Dariyall is an Assistant Principal for Sebastian River High School, and he is a tall, well built, good looking young man. It has been at least 23 years since I coached him.    On Saturday,  Dariyall told me: "Coach, you made me into the man I am today."  I was sort of taken back by this statement.  All I could do is shake his hand, look him in the eye, and say: "I love you man!" 

 

This is why I coach.  Dariyall  paid me back (IN FULL) for the hours and hours I spent on the football field.  I will say this again:  With most football coaches, it is obviously not about the money, and it's not all about the sport itself.  We coach because we are molding these kid's life through the "Lessons in Life" we teach everyday.  It is a huge job. 

 

I am ready to go.  Somehow, next week's wet feet don't seem so bad anymore. 

 

GZ