LIFE:
In regards to life in April, it has been filled with ups and downs and some moments that will remain personal, but at the end of the day, the most important thing is that my family is fine. My wife has been a fantastic support during this busy time of football. We have been practicing 4 times a week for two full weeks going into three. That is not such a big deal back in the "motherland" but not so normal here in Sweden. Since we practice at 19.00, it means my wife is stuck with all the work at home while I go to coach football each evening. Note to self...buy flowers. Samuel continues to find many different songs where he can add the Swedish word "bajskorv" (which literally translates to "poop sausage") to and maintain the rhythm of the song. I think he may have some musical talent. I find it very interesting that I can have a son that can already understand two different languages. I speak to him 95% of time in English (with a nice Oklahoma twang) and he understands what I say, but he has the tendency to answer me and speak to me in Swedish. The most important lesson I have learned is that when your child is 3 (soon to be 4..May 10th) he will most likely repeat ANY word he might have heard you say. Yep...I am learning that when I can't find my wallet and we have to rush to daycare I should simply say "I can't find my wallet"...instead of "I can't find my @¤!!#"" wallet". Simply, because the words "I can't find my wallet" will not be repeated...the others will...Note to self...don't use so many adjectives to describe things....
Here is a dilemma that I never thought I would face. There are many words in Swedish and English that are very close. I can't really say if English Grammar and Swedish Grammar are similar or not...because I am not very good at either on of them...Anyways, there are some interesting conflicts in language when I talk to Samuel...first if I want to give him a little peck on the cheek, I will would call that a "kiss"...The Swedish word for "pee" is "kyss" (actually not sure I spelled that correctly, but it is pronounced the same)...so when I look at my son and say "How about a good night kiss for papa?"...he goes to the bathroom...Because the Swedish word for "Kiss" is "puss"...yep...I ain't going there..but you get the picture of some small difficulties in having a child with two languages from birth......Here is an interesting language finding...in Swedish, if something is poison it is "gift"...the word for getting married is "gift"...Is that why people live together for many years before actually getting married here????
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HOW ABOUT THEM OKIES:
I have to say, I am pretty excited and somewhat proud of the way the NFL draft started. I am a Sooner fan and a Big 12 fan. Nice to see those top picks in the draft have a Sooner connection and a Big 12 connection. When you look at the stats, it's a little sounds crazy to say that 50% of the first 10 picked came from the Big 12 and 30% of those were home grown Okies...What's in the water there?? I really hope they all do well, but I have a soft spot in my heart for Sam Bradford and Jermaine Gresham (pick #21). It was a stroke of bad luck for those guys to come back for their senior year at OU and end up injured for that season. Hope that all the draft picks have a great experience. Odds are that some won't, but it is a credit to hard work and to ability that they have been picked. On the other hand I have waited for my phone to ring on draft day since 1987. Today it did ring, but it was just Katarina telling me to remember to pick up some groceries and a box of Lindamans Chardonnay....oh well...back to the weight room....
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL:
As I stated earlier, we have been going hard in preseason camp. I am really working hard on creating a high "level of understanding" with our players. We are a spread option team and we are working hard on understanding how to run the option, where to run the option and how to run the option. At the same time we are working a balanced attack and my Swedish QB's are developing at a satisfactory pace. We are still double teaching quite a few guys and are beginning to work a few guys at some different positions and next week we will look at adding some formations and a few personnel groupings. It should bring April to an exciting end to April and get us gaining a little steam leading into the season opener in mid-May.
BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE:
One of the funnest things I have been doing is coaching our U-11 team. On Thursday nights from 18.00-19.00 I practice with these young kids. We are up to 22 the last two weeks (17 U-11 players & 5 U-13 players). We have a blast. We play a "game" at the end of every practice and I have (somewhat egotistically named it "Kennedy ball") It is backyard football in pads. We train mostly on the correct way to tackle and we introduce a very basic way to block. The rest we take care of on the run. I would encourage every club in Sweden to build up from the bottom. If we do not build a "talent pyramid" the sport will remain the same with a few great players coming up sporadically and a roller coaster of international success. If we build the pyramid from the base up, we build a chance for the sport to grow. What I am saying is nothing new or revolutionary...but if we do it and do it right...we will reap the benefit from our efforts for many years to come...and the biggest challenge for all you young coaches of U-11 and U-13...KEEP IT FUN. You do not get a kid to play football because he is challenged by the opportunity to understand how to play a man-off technique at age 9 or because he wants to be able to always check the power to the 3 tech when he is 10...you get a kid to play, because he has fun and then he will want to continue for years to come and his first memories of the game will be those based on fun experiences and a true love and appreciation of the game...So let's just do it. Keep it fun and teach them how to tackle the right way.
MEANINGLESS INFORMATION TO PUT IN MY BLOG:
During the writing of this installment of the blog I have listened to following music (while listening to the NFL draft in the background)....
1. Steve Earle--NYC
2. CCR--As Long as I can see the Light
3. The Band--I shall be Released
4. Van Morrison--And it Stoned Me
5. David Allen Coe--Willie, Waylon & Me
6. Bob Dylan--Thunder on the Mountain
Until next post, I hope that those things that are most important to you are the things you get to spend you time with...try to be perfect...
