Practice # 7 -- Week before first game

Today was definitely not a day for practice once again. This crazy weather here in this country is driving me up the wall. It was 100 degrees and we were still out there.

All in all, I felt pretty good today in spite of some morning stomach issues. The conditioning this week seemed to help a good bit, although I was still spent by the end of practice.

40 scripted plays, plus another several dozen snaps and it all made for a long day. I just don't know where my long snap went today but it was disastrous. I really need to focus more on this one.

But we have the game next week and I am just hoping we get through it in one piece. Some minor defensive adjustments today and of course, the proverbial run until you drop thing with kicking. Unfortunately, all the heat did not help me too much as I only lost 0.5 kg overall, leaving me at 109.5 kg.

Mid Week Post

Well, another week of training and getting ready for the season. Unfortunately, this week brought news that no player wants to hear. Kevin Everett of the NFL's Buffalo Bills had a career ending neck injury on Sunday in the US during their game with the Denver Broncos. While this has happened many times over the years, each person has been different with a different prognosis.

While many of the guys with this type of injury have walked again, many have not. The prognosis on Kevin initially was that he would never walk again, later analysis of his condition is promising. He is now moving his hands and feet voluntarily which is a good sign for him. But spinal cord damage is not something so trivial and he will likely walk but not soon.

He also will never play the game we all love again. This is just tragic for someone so young with their entire career in front of them. Of course, it makes every player think about the game and how we can play it safer. Even my team mates and coach got into the fray of this discussion this week.

Although we know that football is a rough sport, the fundamental problem comes down to a couple of issues. First, is the player ready to play? Have they trained and conditioned their body for the brutality of the game? Second, are they using proper techniques when tackling and blocking? In the case of Kevin Everett, he was using his head and he lowered it into a bad position prior to attempting to make the tackle.

This positioning and failure to maintain proper technique contributed greatly to his injury. As players, we tend to forget some fundamental teachings when we are in the heat of battle, but as coaches, we must remember to teach the players not to use their heads for anything other than a guide. That is the fundamental that, failure to adhere to the idea, most often leads to injuries. We have seen it time and time again but it continues.

For those of you reading this, keep this in mind as you practice and play the sport. At the same time, remember to say a prayer for Kevin Everett and the others like him who have suffered this type of injury. It could happen to anyone of us.

6th Practice

This week we had another team come in and practice with us. The Titans brought about 25-30 personnel and looked ready for a full game. Of course, only about 20 of our guys showed up. I hope this is not going to be a trend with guys not showing up. If would be nice if just once, everyone was there to run through the plays.

Of course, the primary purpose in the Titans coming was for both teams to get some real situational hitting in. This type of practice really works well due to the personnel issues we seem to be having. Play walk-throughs, blocking schemes and assignments, pass protection and routes.

It was quite a good time but I certainly was not up to snuff. The temperature being 95 degrees still did not help things but I also took a square helmet check in the chest which aggravated my sternum. Unfortunately, that is what put me out in 2000 when I played for the Atsugi Dolphins. I really must be careful with that one.

Thus I was not particularly set for doing the things that I wanted to do but I went ahead and sucked it up and played about 70 percent of the plays. I must get in better shape if I expect to make it through the season. This thing of huffing and puffing like a stuck pig is for the birds. This will be a hard training week as we only have two weeks until our first game.

At the end of this one, I weighed 110 kg (242 lbs). I am finally getting back to my optimal playing weight.

5th Practice

Today's practice was a bear. I probably snapped the ball 200 times. It was just snap after snap and as I got tired, I started to slip up a bit. When my QB complained, I decided I better take 2 minutes and get my hands and face toweled off so I wasn't getting sweat all over the ball. Then it was right back to the work. Another 20 minutes of snaps.

Of course, these practices aren't getting easier and I am just starting to feel the ball and the pains of being a football player again.

Once we finished out pass route work, it was time to put on the shoulder pads. While it is not as hot as last week today, it is still 85 degrees. The only saving grace is the cloudiness and the breeze that is blowing across the field on days such as this.

Offense went ok for me but I felt like I was just all thumbs. My team mate was getting as tired stopping me on the blocking schemes as I was of running them. I really must get a bit more of a push when I am making the slant blocks. I seem to be lagging and getting nailed by the guy in front of me. It is probably because I am a step slow.

At the end of this one, I weighed 110.5kg. Getting there but still a long ways to go.

4th Practice

Hot! That is the word of the day. It is 105 degrees today. I stopped and picked up my team mate who was walking from the station. Come to find out, he was coming all the way out to our practices from Toda-city. That sounds a lot like me when I was a young player in the UFL. Travel an hour, practice or play for 4 and then drag oneself home with another hour plus of travel.

Practice was just unbearable. It was go, go,go. I could feel the water just pouring out of me. It seemed that no matter how quickly I replaced the fluids, I was expelling them. The humidity was 90 percent and we were out there in full gear, hitting and running plays.

There was a lot of talk about this but I was glad we were doing it from the perspective of me dropping a bit more weight. But towards the end, I was feeling a bit bad and had to take myself out. I was getting a bit of what the Japanese call Natsu-Bate which basically means that your body feels lethargic in spite of being hydrated. At one point I probably over did the water input.

After about a 15 minute break, I was able to get back out and keep practicing. But this was one for the records as far as the temperature went.

My knee was bothering me again today. I really should be careful with it but I am hoping that all of the snaps every practice and squats on off days will help strengthen it to a point where I can get through the season.

Down to 112kg after todays practice. Going....going...gone....LOL

3rd Practice

Another practice. Hot. Hot. Hot. Way too hot for anything much less practice. But we have a good group of guys today with almost everyone showing up in spite of the temperature.

Now that we are doing all of the normal warmup drills, I am getting tired even before we start play drills and walk-throughs. But that is a good thing.

I think that my young team mates are worried about me because they keep asking me if I am ok. I know that I have a long blank but I will get back to it. My conditioning has not come along like I thought it would but of course, endurance takes time to build.

I am back at center today doing a ton of snaps again. I am still trying to memorize all the plays and the assignments and yet we are running through everything. Snap count was a problem with me today. I kept jerking the ball. I must get off of the giddiness and start paying attention.

Hopefully the weather will cool off because these hot days are getting old. It has been triple digit weather for two weeks now and no relief or rain in sight. Maybe a rain dance will help matters.

I received the defensive playbook today. While it was familiar to me, I was a bit disappointed and actually wish the team ran a different defense which would use its personnel better.

I am now down to 113kg. I am surprised how fast the weight is coming off. Especially with the weight lifting during the week. But I suppose I just was too dog gone fat when I started.

2nd Practice

This is the second practice. I have dug out the remainder of my gear and have finally gotten everything ship shape for the season. I could use a new pair of gloves, but that will have to wait.

15 guys showed up today and so we could have a bit more of something that looked like a real practice. It was still not at full speed, but the temperature was once again in the hundreds and the humidity was out of sight. I keep praying for those 70 to 80 degree Seattle like days. But that is about as likely to happen as pigs flying.

I started working as the backup center at the start of practice, but by the time we got through the practice, the first string center was looking to me to take over the position for him. It looks like this will be my position for the season so I better get better at it than I am now.

We had a bit of kicking practice today too. I was going to kick this season but after I kicked my third field goal, I felt my knee pop again. Thats it for kicking. No more for me.

At the end of this one, I signed all the official paperwork and other pertinents that had to be done. I received the offensive playbook from Mr. Iida (the Outlaws coach) and instantly started perusing it to see if there was anything different.

I also lost another 2 pounds today and am definitely feeling lighter. But the knees still don't seem to know that I am losing the weight. Hopefully they will get better with time.