Pads and Cold

Because the team's helmets were being painted by a local business, we have been forced to practice with out headgear. This has been acceptable because of the learning that can occur. That said, it is hard to play football without the most important piece of protective equipment. After a few practices without pads, the players (along with myself) were ready for some real football. Tonight the helmets arrived, painted black. The players reassembled their headgear with screwdrivers brought from home. Before long, everyone looked like a football player.

Practice was spirited and there was no shortage of hitting. It doesn't seem to me that there any "non-hitter" on our team. The Defensive line progressed through tackling drills and block recognition. The linebackers and secondary drilled tip drill and coverage drills. Soon the inside drill that pits the Offensive and Defensive Lines erupted in a fight. It is not uncommon, on the first day of pads for competitive athletes to arrive at a difference of opinion about what is and isn't a legal block. Austria is no different. After the coach stopped short of ejecting the transgressors, ran them a little, and they made up, practice was back on in full swing.

All in all, it was a good day first day of pads.

Except for one small problem. The temperature tonight during practice was 9 degrees fahrenheit.

NINE degees.

At nine degrees, the cold radiates up through the hard turf and into the bottoms of your feet. It crawls up your ankles and lodges in your knees. The ball becomes a cement block to try to catch. Kicking is not a pleasant thought. If you wear glasses, your breath steams them up at times. But hey, I knew what I thought I was getting into when I signed on. Austria is roughly the latitude of Northern Minnesota.

It can be a little hard to concentrate when the mercury dives that low. Upon arrival back at home, I built a roaring fire in the first floor wood stove. In no time at all, the dancing flames entombed behind the glass door were emitting heat. Time to watch the film of practice to evaluate the players' areas in which to improve. Afterwards, I am still cold. Time for another log for the fire.

We will talk later, ok?