Straight Season for the Seniors 2012

Probably one of the coolest emails I ever received was the one that said that here in Sweden, we would play the 2012 in a straight (no breaks outside of a bye week) season. This has been a topic of discussion for the 9 full years I have been in Sweden. In my years here, I have never gotten accustomed to playing half the season in two months, then taking 4-6 weeks off, then finsihing the season over the next two months. I personally don't think football is supposed to be played that way. It is a consecutive week type sport. One game each week until the season is over. Usually followed by play-offs unless you are a member in the BCS...then you can take a month off, comeback and play in a bowl game, then move on to the next season.
I will be the first to admit, that as time went on, I did enjoy my summer more and more. In the beginning of my time here in Sweden most weeks "off" in July meant that I would be doing something with either the Senior or Junior National teams, or both. I travelled with those teams to see some wonderful places. As of late, I actually enjoyed a real Swedish vacation and hung out with my family for the entire break time. The problem with last season was the fact that  Djurgården dropped out last year and when you add that to an odd number of teams in a league, you were given an extra by week. That created gaps in schedules. For example, in 2011 we (Arlanda Jets) played a game on June 11th, August 7th and then again on Aug 27th.  I Just don't think that is the way you are supposed to play football.
There is a group of guys called the Super Series Råd that began meeting after the season and discussing what can be done to make things better and one of the many things they discussed was whether we should play a straight season or continue the one with the break. So, long story short, between the work of the SSR and discussions with the Board of Directors here in Sweden, a decision has been made and it appears that kick-off will be in Mid-April with the finals scheduled in Mid-July. A classic American football schedule.
Now...we finally got what we wanted...and that will be the challenge.

WHAT A STRAIGHT SEASON MEANS TO THE PLAYERS & COACHES:
The straight season will mean that you will have less times to recover from game to game. This is something that we must take into consideration in physically preparing for a straight season. In the past few years, injuries could be a little easier dealt with in that you might have two weeks off or a long summer break to recover from that nagging injury. This year you will play each week so you must prepare yourself physically to perform each week. An unfortunate injury can cause a player to miss a large part of the season as opposed to missing 6 weeks, but maybe two games. I am a big fan of a straight season, but that is something we must be prepared for as coaches and players. 
Physical preparation and depth will play a key role in the 2012 season in my opinion.
One area the shorter, straight season should help is the ability to bring over import players and/or coaches. Not having to pay a coach or player for a full month to 6 weeks where there is no football, should save some money. The difference in one to two months of salary, might make a difference in affording an import player.
The most important thing we can do as teams is to make each week an exciting week of football. Play hard and entertaining football. Create an exciting atmoshpere around the games and leave the public talking about what a great time they had at the game they attended.

Needless to say, 2012 will be an exciting year of challenges and opportunities for those of us in the football world here in Sweden. I have high expectations for a very competitive Super Series. The bulk of the responsibility lays on us teams who have been at the bottom of the pack in recent years, to raise our standard and compete not only with each other, but go against the two leaders of the league (Carlstad Crusaders & Tyresö Royal Crowns) and give them games that are exciting and unpredictable.

THE CHALLENGE OF WATCHING LIVE FOOTBALL IN SWEDEN:
I have to admit that the older I get the harder it is to watch live football. I have spent more time watching a kick-off then waking up on the couch and watching the last two drives of a game than ever before. As a family man with an active 5 year old in the house it's not easy to see the "early" kick-off game which usually is at  7:00pm here. So it comes down to if I am up to catch the 10:15pm game or want to stay up and catch the "big game" that kicks-off at 2:30am. Not a totally bad schedule, but as a huge college football fan, I try to watch as much college football as possible. This leads to a crazy sleep schedule. Not to mention trying to follow the Sooners, who seemed to have more night games than I can ever remember, which in turn saw me putting coffee on at 4:00am and watching the Insight.com bowl. Just glad the Sooners won. Just thank goodness for NFL gamepass and ESPN 360...I know I'm old school to actually use those, but I really like the quality...so know I can go back and watch all the games I slept through on demand...that is, when I am not playing "Star Wars" or other activities with my son...he get's the cool light saber and I am forced to use the extra long shoe horn...I mean it is an IKEA produt, but not as good as an actual light saber...

FIREWORKS IN SWEDEN:
Just a quick note to let everyone now that these Swedes are crazy about their fireworks. I grew up in Oklahoma and the 4th of July was always special. I have shot bottle rocket out of bottles, out of the ends of BB guns, I have even held them, lit them and thrown them both up in air and towards other people. But after experiencing a few New Years here in Sweden I can tell you these folks get after it over here. I am not talking about the organized fireworks show put on by the local community. I am talking about the old "hold my beer and watch this" type of fireworks show that goes on from about 11:00pm to 12:30am. I have never seen anything like it. All credit to my Swedish friends...I like it...I'll watch it very year...from behind my window, locked in my apartment...

OK...5 SENTENCES THAT MEAN YOUR NEW YEARS EVE PARTY MIGHT GET HAIRY:

1. The above mentioned, "hold my beer and watch this"
2. "I wonder if I could...."
3. "No, really, just try it..."
4. "just light it with a cigarette..."
5. "hey, get this on video..it'll go viral"

And there you have it. The years first update. A little about football in Sweden and a little about  life in Sweden through the eyes of an old boy from Blanchard, Oklahoma...until next time remember, pass set, attack near hand to near pec..be strong inside and move your feet...and have a great 2012...

The Year in Review--The Year Ahead

Well, with a cool title like that, you would have to expect a really professional account of what has happened this last year and what to expect this coming year, but instead you will have to settle with what I have written...if you continue to read.....OK, thank you for continuing to read...here we go.

FOOTBALL 2011
Since part of the purpose of this blog is to update on my football experience here in Sweden, we will begin there. This season was one that can be described best as a launching pad for the future. Here at Arlanda we have made a serious effort to focus on building a football team and club and make it as good as we can. Notice I didn't say "better than everyone else" because that is not the focus. Our goal is not to build a team/club that prides itself on saying "we are better than you" it is as truly simple as building an organization that provides a positive experience for all its members. That is what we took the first steps in doing this year. Keep in mind, that this blog is mine and these opinions are mine, but I am comfortable that what I type here reflects the general attitude of your club...if not, there is a comments section and it cost nothing to start a blog :-)
Now this in itself can be an enormous topic, but I will relate it like this:  What I learned (or was reminded of) from football this year:

1. Working with Rik Parker is fun. Rik is a guy that I knew pretty well before he came to Arlanda, but after spending this past season coaching with him, I have to give him a lot of credit for really getting me recharged in regards coaching. I had reached a spot in my life that being here (Sweden) year around and just about run it's course. But working with Rik has been refreshing and I truly believe we are on the right course.
2. Concentrate and focus on what is important to your club, your team and start with your practice. This is a great start. What we have tried to do is make each practice moment the best it can be. I will not lie to you and say that at every practice, everybody was there. I cannot speak for other teams, but in all honesty, I would be surprised if any team averages more than 75 to 80% attendance at EVERY practice. So, what we did is make every practice special and routine. Sometimes people had to work "out of position", but the thought process was each practice is a game day, so if today was a game, who would play where. This may seem  strange, but this did a lot for building team unity. I mean, if I had to say, "we have three lineman...who will fill in. We can't run a play until somebody is in there." Somebody would jump in. Maybe it wasn't the guy that I would want in there on the Saturday, but it was a guy that was saying through his action "OK Coach, I'll do it because it has to be done." "I'll do what helps the team." "I am tough enough to do this." With that type of thinking and mentality, we have taken a huge step in the right direction. Any activity we run with the Sr team is guaranteed to be a good experience, an opportunity to work hard and a chance to get better along with having fun doing it.
3. Don't mess with things that take time and energy and provide little satisfaction. Since I have been in Sweden, I have found myself always trying to do as much as I could for football. There is apart of me that still would love to be out there doing everything I can for everybody, but it just is not possible. So, what I did this year was to focus on those things that I deemed worthy of my time. Sound a little egotistical...maybe, but it's the way you have to be sometimes.
4. Stop worrying about the other guy. I came to the realization that it is not my job to decide what is right and wrong in coaching or running a club. I grew up under the guise that your job was to win the game and do it with class. Part of class was having a lead and running the clock out, not trying to run the score up. Now this hasn't happened a lot, but there have been three times that I have personally felt that guys went out of their way to get one more touchdown in a game that was out of reach...it happened in the infamous SM-Final in 2008 when SMM went for two up 68-32 late in the 4th qtr. This year it was CC staying in no-huddle trying to get a young kid some carries and scoring on a run (that yes, we should have stopped) as time ran out in a game they were up several points...TRC took their opportunity to get one more TD in a game that they had under total control with around 2 minutes left...Now I will admit that I wasted no time in letting the coaches (all who I considered friends and still do) know exactly what I thought about what happened....BUT...that complaining I did was all wasted time. I told them all how I felt about what happened with no hidden words....well, upon further review...why waist my time and energy...nobody "did it on purpose"....so maybe those are just things that happen. I realized this summer while spitting some wood, worry about my guys, my team, my club...that's it. With that attitude, the second half of the season, was truly enjoyable and I have wasted very little time with concentrating on things that, at the end of the day, really don't matter.....except the occasional bad call by a referee....
5. Defining simplicity. Keep it simple stupid. I have been working on defining simplicity. I have not finished, but I am getting close. It really doesn't mean that you line up in the "I" formation with one TE and 2 Wr's. What it means is that everything you do revolves on executing the play with the best fundamentals of blocking, tackling, throwing, catching, running or even kicking that are possible. Many of us coaches will stand in front of the a whiteboard and say "Well, we will do this and this..." Have you ever heard a player describe what went right on a play..."I pulled and he never saw me and I trapped the crap out of him!!" or "I filled my gap and plugged the entire play up."  A player's descriptions of what happened usually start with the word "I..." remember that coaches, the players are the ones doing what we draw, make sure they are equipped to perform.

That is my 2011 year in review...now what about 2012?? Well we have started back in October, meeting twice a week and doing a program where we train on running fundamentals, change of direction, plyometrics and lifting where we focus on movements that will make us better football players. The guys have been coming in, sometimes more than others, but every Tuesday and Thursday night somebody is getting better.
As many people have heard, we are bringing back Aki Jones for the entire season. I think Aki will be a serious force to reckon with on the field. I think to most teams his presence was felt on the fieldlast year. But what people don't know is how good he works off the field too. He does a great job working with the kid in the National Idrotts Utbildinging program and helping coach the other youth teams in our clubs. He is also fantastic at school visits. Last years offensive import Nick Danielsson will be missed. He did a great job for us. He is currently back in the U.S. looking to get into coaching. I hope that happens for him because I know he'll do a great job. We plan on adding an American QB this year and are in the process of getting that done. But as of this update it has not been finished.

NEW YEARS RESOLUTION FOR 2012:
Go back and read the resolutions for 2011...I think I'll just shoot for them in 2012...I didn't accomplish them in 2011...or 10..or 09...so we'll stick with the same for 2012...

WHAT WAS GREAT ABOUT GOING HOME TO OKLAHOMA IN OCTOBER:
Seeing the family is always the best. Seeing my oldest boy, Jonathan and hanging out with him and being in awe of the man he has become is always a blast. Seeing my two younger brothers (and thinking they are starting to look old) laughing with my Dad and hearing stories about the good old days and nothing is better than a hug from Mom...
Then there is going back to see a college football game. Nothing like the environment of a college football game and especially going to see The University of Oklahoma play. I didn't go to school there, but I grew up a fan. Of course I would have gone their and played football it I had just been...bigger, faster, stronger and a better athlete...so damn close...anyway..one game in Norman and then we made the trek down to Dallas for the OU vs Texas game. That should have been a blog post or two on it's own..but here is a few pics from the trip:

Here is the pregame tailgate snack: The shiskabob(that's how I spell it) a big thick piece of toast...a twice baked potato...a jalapeno wrapped in bacon and stuffed with creme cheese...water chestnuts wrapped in bacon and soaked in a spicy sauce...and a cold beer...of course that was only round one on all aspects....courtesy of Uncle Mike Arbuckle...

This put a tear in my eye...O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A

another band shot...don't know why the Texass fans booed here...

Here is my brother Mike and son Jonathan...throwin' down the horns at the cotton bowl!!

and we'll finish with a pic of my son Samuel at the OKC zoo..yes..he's the one on the left....don't even...

Well...thats it for a quick update on a little bit of what was 2011 and what will become 2012...a little bit of a rambling update..but as you know..my new years resolution is (insert Lee Corso's blooper here)...if you don't know what that is...look it up on you tube...

And Now we have another bye week

Been busy, but having a good time. Came back from vacation and we are getting ready to crank up the school year. Spent a great day in Skvöde, Sweden watching some youth football. Mostly U-15 & U-17. It was a great feeling to walk around and see those young kids and their coaches getting after it on the football field. Fun stuff. The Dukes Tournament is a really special time and I hope that even more teams will begin to make it a must do on their yearly calendars.

Hard Times:
Anybody that follows football here in Sweden knows that we are having what can politely be described as a "crappy year". We have lost all games, with the exception of the one we tied and after a 7 week break in the season, we opened up with a loss to the Carlstad Crusaders and dressed only about 16 guys and finished with 13 by the final whistle. If you are on the outside looking in, you will come to your own conclusions or be one of the experts in the game here and be able to predict the demise of the Arlanda Jets. This is however not the case. What we are doing is taking the guys that want to play and trying to do our best.  We are quite simply short on numbers. Now, we as a club must address this, because if you are short on numbers it means that not enough of your U-19 players are making the move up to the senior team after their time in the junior program. This has been a problem at Arlanda since I started coaching here. It is a problem for all sports in Sweden and a problem in our sport of American Football. We have two rather large (physically and numbers) generations that will be eligible to move up the next two years and we will be working hard to keep those guys in the club.  So hard times now, yeah-forever, no way. There are a lot of things that we are doing right that will get and keep us competitive in the future and I mean very near future.....

Warriors:
That is how Rik and I feel about the guys that gutted it out on Saturday and the guys that keep coming to practice and trying to win games. These guys are laying it all on the line each week. The reporter asked me if we are really this bad. I told him basically that we are not a bad football team, we just are not winning right now. We have some good football players, but we have way too many that are forced to play both ways. Also, when you play with too few, you end up putting some guys in the game who have not practiced much if any at the positions that they have to go in and play. But they go in and do the best they can. Now, if we were to win a game in that situation, we would be called tough, hard nosed, gutsy or maybe even great. But winning in that situation is not the norm. You have a chance with "iron man" football, if everybody you are playing is also playing "iron man" football. But when your opponent switches 11 new guys in to play offense and you have one guy jog off the field and one guy jog on to put your D on the field....well you get the point. You're going to get worn down. The point I am trying to make is that at least these guys are trying. They are fighting to the very end, they are not feeling sorry for themselves and they are trying to make some good things happen on the football field. For that, I am proud of them. They are warriors in my eyes for taking their situation and trying to make the best of it....

Learning from mistakes:
I so wish that I was one of those people with great for-sight. A person who could always now when everything was going to turn out good or when something shouldn't be done, but unfortunately I learn most of my lessons from mistakes. This past year we talked a lot about starting a B-team in our club. The proposal was made and their seemed to be a lot of guys interested in a B-team that would be "less serious" than the A-team and also serve as a place for older rookies to try a little American Football and see what they thought. I was one of the guys that thought that it was a good idea. I truly believe that there is a place for a B-team in a large club and it can serve a very good purpose, but when I look back and see how our situation is now, I can see some things that need to be fixed.
Here is my suggestions for anyone that wants to have a B-team:

1. DO NOT make it two seperate teams. Make it one team and some of the guys play on gameday with the A-team and others play on game day with the B-team. I say this because in most cases you are not going to have "too many" players  in your A-team to begin with. Nobody in Sweden has too many A-team players.
2. If you are a club that has a B-team, remember you will be playing in a league where many of the teams have the goal and ambition to move up to the Super-Series and will not be out there to be "less serious" or "to have a little fun." They will be playing hard and they will be playing to win.

Those two ideas are a must if you are a club that has a team that competes in the Super-Series and also wants to have a B-team. They are my opinion only--but after all, this is my blog so I can print my ideas.

When you look at it this way:
I have lived and coached football in Sweden for 9 years now. I have done everything from discuss to argue the idea of this split season. I understand that the sport is American Football and we are living in Sweden so there could be some differences and of course there is. But the difference should not be in how the game is designed to fit into the calender. I will never understand the idea of playing a season like this: One game in April, 3 games in May, 2 games in June, 2 games in August, 2 games in September. That is this years Arlanda schedule broken down by games per month. The sport is designed  to play a straight through 10-12 game scheduled followed by some form of play-off system. That's it. I do hope that someday we can have it that way in Sweden. I hope that someday, we can have a season that is played straight through and ends in early July. Then I hope that the best players will then play in whatever National Team game or tournament is in late July. Then I would wish that all the clubs would start an organized strength and conditioning program in Mid-August through September. Then have some form of "fall ball" in October to introduce the game to any rookies and also have some fun with the old guys then continue with their strength and conditioning programs in November-March. Then in Mid-march start organizing pre-season practices. You could have what the old NFL used to call OTA's scattered throughout the year to work individually by position or as a unit or even team to introduce and work on the fundamentals. That's my dream scenerio here in Sweden. I may never live to see that, and I hope to live a long time, but that is the way I would paint the picture if I could. In the mean time, I'll keep doing the best I have with what I got and try to make it a good experience for all those involved. Anyways, we just played last Saturday so now we have two Saturdays in a row off......(yawn)....

Defining Fun:
This post's last rambling thought is to try and define the term I have heard talked about a lot in my time here in Sweden. "They guys need to have fun" or "let's make this fun." The problem I have with this is what is fun? I thought that coming to practice was fun. To meet up with my buddies and go through take-offs and block progression was fun. To block, tackle, run, catch and throw was fun. To try and be good or even great at something...That is fun. Also, fun is how what you are doing is presented to you. If the Coach (leader) is up beat, serious, gives you attention, uses energy and enthusiasm...you are probably going to have a good time. For me, those things are fun. So, if anybody ask me if my practices are fun, I am going to say "hell, yeah" because I have a blast. And I am having a blast whether I have a smile on my face or not, whether I am telling you good job or encouraging you to give more effort. All that is because the two funnest things I know is winning and trying to be the best you can be at something. That is my defintion of fun.

Well that's this post. Until next time remember, when protecting the quick passing game, don't move forward, don't move back, don't chase, stay firm.......

Early Morning Thoughts

Up early this morning, sitting on my front porch, thinking about football...and having some coffee...

A Good Read:
Just finsihed reading Pete Carroll's book "Win Forever." I would suggest this book to all young (and old) coaches for that matter. I would not say that there is earth shattering revelations in it or even things that you might have not heard before, but the book takes the reader on a journey of self discovery that is very interesting. Of things that stood out in the book, the idea "to do things better than they have been done before" stood out the most. That statement hit home the most in our little football community here in Sweden. I can assure you that you will here about "how good it was back then" or "things were better then" or "we should do like we did back then" in just about any conversation. I would say why don't we say "Let's do this BETTER than it has every been done before." That is not to say it wasn't good "back in the day" or put any disrespect on the pioneers of the past that have built the sport up here from scratch. It is putting our chin out there and saying, "OK, now is the time for us to build this sport and do it better than it has ever been done before." It would sure lead to some exciting times. How do we do that? In my world it is simple. We start as individuals doing our jobs in our clubs and trying to do them better than they have ever been done before. The more people (clubs) that do that, the stronger the "team" of American Football will be. Sound simple..it is..will there be set backs and bumps in the road..there will be...will it be worth it in the long run...yes it will.
So, read the book for a little inspiration. I get no kick back from Coach Carroll. I don't know him and the chances of him coming over to Sweden to say hi are slim to none..but it is a good read. By the way, it is NOT an X's and O's book. The X's and O's are the easy part of coaching. The book is about developing a philosophy and building relationships. Check it out...

A Quick Apology to Mrs. Ritchey and Mrs. Lewis:
Here is a thought that has been on my mind since I started to try and write a blog. I must apologize to the two English teachers I had growing up in Blanchard. Mrs. Lewis and Mrs. Ritchey were my english teachers from grad 7-12 at good old Andrew J. Terrell High School in Blanchard. I am openly apologize to them for my sentence structure and potential spelling mishaps. Sentence structure is just something we are going to have to live with.. The spelling will get bettter when I figure out how to get the setting on my spell check off of Swedish and on to English....anyways, ladies...my apologies..but it if fun to right stugg....I mean write stuff....

What's happening in Football:
SAFF just relased the names of the players called to the Juniour European Championships. This is an exiting time for those young men and it shows in their facebook status when they post about how excited they are that they saw there name on the list!! Great to see young people fired up about the upcoming tournament. You can read the names on the roster here: http://www.amerikanskfotboll.com/110729jem_slutlager.pdf
The Jets have 4 young men that have made that roster and I am quite proud of them and happy for them. I know they are serious and will have a great tournamnet. Two from my Elite program in American football have been picked. Markus Grip and Mark Rosenqvist. They are very hard workers and have done quite well in developing in the weight room and on the field this last year. Mark is one of only two young athletes that was born in '94 that made the roster. Best of luck to Team Sweden at the Junior European Championships. Work hard Coaches and players and build a great memory!!
The other big tournament that will actually kick off in a few days is the Senior World Championships. I had the honor of being the Head Coach for Team Sweden in Kawasiki, Japan at the World Championships of 2007. We finsished in 4th losing to Germany 7-0 in the Bronze medal match. USA beat Japan in overtime to win the gold. This year the tournament is in Austria and you can follow along at the following website:
http://www.americanfootball2011.com/en/ I can assure you that it is an ubelievable event to be at. Football players, coaches and fans from all over the world there to cheer their country on...maybe even NFL Network will cover it since there isn't too much happening right now with the lock-out. My predictions...USA vs Japan for the gold USA wins...surprise team for the tournament Austria takes on Mexico for the bronze......can Austria upset Mexico?? Wait, where's the Germans....will be fun to follow the tournament...some day I hope to get the opportunity to coach in it again....

Other good blogs:
Here are some blogs to keep in touch with about football in Sweden..some are in Swedish, but there is googl translate now..
http://coachingforpizza.blogspot.com/
http://leobillgren.wordpress.com/
http://bogorans.blogspot.com/2011/07/juniorsatsning.html?spref=fb
http://lirresblog.wordpress.com/
http://thecatch.se/sebastian/
http://thecatch.se/om this is a page that is the main communication in the our little world (besides the main SAFF sight)

Until next time...when you pull right...hit with your right shoulder...when you pull left hit with your left shoulder.....

Good-bye 2010 Hello 2011

Well, as the year starts to end here, I am sitting in the kitchen at the "Kennedy Compound". We have about a foot and a half of snow everywhere. It is absolutely beautiful here in our section of the woods. We have a fire going in the fire place and the two wood burning stoves. Katarina and I each have a nice glass of wine and Samuel is dancing to Hank Williams Jr--"Almost Pursuaded" across the kitchen floor. He is exhibiting excellent coordination in a mixture of dance moves that I can only guess have been passed on through genetics...he can do the "rodeo man"---the "robot"--"running man" combined with "stumbling man"...He is a one man mosh pit....look out let's dance 2020!!!
Seems fitting to be here as the year goes out. This little place in the woods is most likely where they will scatter my ashes someday. We have alot of work to do here, but that is part of the joy and challenge of having a place like this. My New Years Resolution will be to get as much family time as possible here...maybe even a few "boys weekends" down here and get some extra work done along with a few evenings of poker...we'll see what happens...there will be 12 months to try and get stuff done, that's what is exciting about a new year...
Football in 2011:
This still is yet to be determined. I mean as far as my job goes working at the High School program it is business as usual. The Jets will have a few announcements coming soon. We are 100% committed to building a winning program and we will start actually with the building of a solid committed staff. We will add to that players that are committed to a high level of play, then we will try to put that all together in an effort that makes us a serious contender year in an year out here in Sweden. How exactly will we do that? Stay tuned, but the thing for sure is that it will get done. We are in the unique position of getting our Senior team to be as competitive as our Junior teams. I don't mean that at all as an insult, it is just a fact that our U-15, U17 and U-19 teams have all been winning for quite sometime. The thing we have to do to finish the project is simply to retain our home grown players and have them continue as they turn 20 years old.
As far as football here in Sweden, there are some interesting things. It seems that we will have a "National Series" of football here for U-15, U-17 & U-19 (Keep in mind that this is all ass-u-me (ing) I understand what is going on). It appears that those teams that are playing in the national series are from sound programs and there should be no "dropping out" of the league from the teams mentioned.
In regards to the Super Series--it appears that Örebro will be moving up, making us a 7 league team. I personally think that they are a solid team and with an import or two could keep things interesting in the SS. All in all it is hard to know what to expect. The reality is that the teams that can move up and retain quality juniors and the team that can recruit enough serious senior player will be the teams that do the best in the highest league. I am convinced that those two things (or combination there-in) is what makes a team competitive.
Lessons I learned in 2010 from people I admire:
1. Tiger Woods: I would give about anything I could to play 18 holes of golf with possibly the greatest to have every played the game....but I would not take personal relationship advice from him.
2. Brett Farve: I have been a Farve fan for a long time...I mean I would have loved to block for him. A good old boy at heart, winner, tough, give it all for the team kind of guy...Oh yeah....how many of us would find it hard to give up and stop if we would have been in his shoes...the majority of people would have played for that "one more magical year"....but I would not take any advice on how to SMS pictures from Brett Farve.
3. Rex Ryan: another of the good old boys. He has probably forgotten more football than most of us will ever know. He can get players to play and play hard. He has a swagger and honesty I truly admire..I would give about anything to get 3 hours with Rex Ryan, just to listen to him talk defense and coaching philosophy...but I would keep my shoes on!!!
New Years Revelation:
I want to move to this little house in the woods and grow old here!!
New Years Resolution:
Lose weight...again....and keep it off...this time for good...
1. Turn my cell phone off at 18.00 every night when I come home.
2. Take my wife on a date once a month.
3. Learn to play the Guitar...
4. Buy a guitar...(maybe that should have been #3)
5. Do things that would make my family proud of me....
6. Up date my blog at least every two weeks....

Until 2011, I hope that nothing is too easy, but everything feels worthwhile!!
Never underestimate leverage, hand placement and foot drive!! Finish!!

Rambling update

Well it has been a long time since I updated the old blog I figure it's time to start to get it rolling again. Here is what is happening:
1. Recruiting for the National Idrotts Utbildning---This is the program at Arlanda gymnasiet. It allows students to have 1.5 hours each school day to devote to their sport. In my case, I am the instructor for the American Football program. It is a real chance for students to develop not just physically but also their basic knowledge of the game. If you are interested in choosing the program or transfering into the program you can see more information at www.igunet.se/niu.
2. I have been running around doing some school visits and worked two weeks (this fall) with the Swedish Sports Acadamy...that was fun...I had 15-20 kids between 5-7 years of age playing American Football...two one hour sessions for 4 nights in a row...was great exposure for our club and sport. It could lead to a new project of actually starting a U-8 group that will play some flag football and meet once a week this spring...we'll see what happens...
3. This past week I started working in the weight room with our clubs U-15 & U-17 teams. This is a fun and important project. The one thing that is extremely important is that our young kids can learn to develop movement in order to develop strength that will enable them to develop speed/skills...The basic philosophy from Niclas Carlsson, Strength Coach for the Swedish National Teams and the World Team...
4. Going to a big meeting this coming Wednesday with some leaders in the club to make some decisions in regards to the plans with our senior team....
5. Emersing myself in the Jim Mcnally teaching series...I have never met Coach McNally, but someday I hope to...would be great to get him to Sweden for a camp/clinic....
6. Continuing to work with our U-11 program, although other coaches have taken the winter work-outs on Sundays...these guys, Lennart and Mike, are doing a great job!! We have kept a core group active...our goal is 50 U-11 players this spring/summer...
That's a quick catch up...could post more...but if I save a little...it might give me a reason to update a little more often...
Until next time: On, Playside Seam, Backside Seam, Linebacker....

A Real Swedish Vacation

Well, this month of vacation is coming to an end..that's correct...one month. I have never had a vacation like this and it has been great to spend some extra time with my wife and 4 year old. I have peeked at some film and made some plans for the re-start of the football season in Sweden (practice starts August 3rd for us, with our first game Sunday the 8th).  Hard to say what things will look like, but it does look like we will have a lot of guys that missed some time in June back so all we can do is plan to make a run...so that's the plan.

European Championships:
We'll the first game for Team Sweden didn't go as expected. I can't really comment on why..I didn't get to see it. I tried to follow via "live stats" on the internet, but that is not the most exciting way to follow a game. The interesting thing in a tournament like this is that fact that you will play two games in your group. Usually a game then two-3 days rest then another game. What has happened for Sweden is, that in their pool, they lost to France, then France beat England...now Sweden is playing England for a trip to the bronze medal match. I wish the guys, coaches and staff the best. Your reward in this is the game. Nobody get's paid, so I hope that Team Sweden can "cash" their checks and make some great memories vs England and then the eventual Bronze medal match. Heja Sverige...

Contest time:
As is said earlier, Katarina and I bought a summer house...ok, actually it is a place that we will use on a year around basis, but it's cool to call it a summer house..and I think it needs a good name. It has a Swedish name, but I need an American name for it also...so I thought I would make it a contest. I will list the names that I have thought of and you can either pick one of those names or suggest another...
Below are the current suggestions:
     A. "Kennedyrosa"---who have to know who Hoss, Little Joe, Adam, Ben and Hop Sing were to understand that one...
     B. Chateau Lanhnz--Named after my wife..
     C. Camp Kennedy
     D. The Kennedy Compound
     E. Kennedy's Redneck Paradise--I would shorten it to "KRP"..."hey hon, how bout we go on down to KRP for the weekend"...has a nice ring to it....
OK...vote for your name in the comments section...suggest anyother name...vote as many times as you want to...

OK...not so much football in this one, but more to come later. Hope all of you enjoy what is left of the summer...
So until next time...Step...Strike...Drive...

A month of football and life

So here it is again, the part where I type "well it's been awhile since my last post..." so I thought I would take a little time and fill you all in what has been happening this month.
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????

Here is a shot of the bi-lingual wonder who can put the word "bajskorv" into any kid song on most any rhythm you can imagine...what can I say..the kids got good genes...

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...

A look at what we have

I thought I would show a little about our field and facilities which are result of this clubs 21 years of working their tails off. Last year at the 20th anniversary of the start of the Arlanda Jets, they showed some pictures of the first practice...on a gravel field. This club has a strong tradition of getting things done and this is a picture blog of the things that have come to pass over the last few years that I have been here. But don't get the wrong idea. These were not done because of me. The spirit and leadership in the club has been working hard for many, many years to get these things accomplished....
This picture is a picture of our new press box that will be up and running for this season. Not sure if there will be a big buffet served up for the "press" but it will certainly serve a great purpose and most importantly, it has a second floor which will provide a great film angle for the side shot...that's most important to me.

Here is a shot from across the field at the Bleachers and new press box. The field is 3rd generation turf and seems to be holding up fantastic. You can see that there is plenty of snow piled up on the sides, but that is postitve. Our Kommune, local municipality, does a great job in the winter plowing the field off as the snow comes down. Since it is not heated underneath, keeping the snow off, helps the field thaw quick and also gives us the opportunity to work-out on it as much as we can. If the weather cooperates, we can play just about year around. Usually, December, January and Feburary are a little chilly in this area of the world, but there have been mild winters, where we were able to have outdoor practice and not freeze at those times...this year...was not an option...

Here is the weight room that is under the bleachers. This is all started as an idea when we moved the current bleachers from the old field to this place. The bleachers used to rest on the ground at the old field. When we moved to this new field, the idea about moving the bleachers came up. Then the idea to raise them up, followed by the "what will we do with the space underneath"---and the weight room was born....it has been a long process and not quite finished in finality, but we have 4 plat-forms with 150kg per platform. We train using the general idea to create movement---create strength--create power and speed....sounds fancy to write...bottom line is "hard work works." Simple...but true.....

This is the last project left in the wieght room. In the space you see there, we are working on getting some rubber flooring and 3rd generation turf put in on top of the rubber flooring. This will give us a unique opportunity to have an 15 yrd long and roughly 10 yard wide space of turf to work on everything from plyos to take-offs to individual techniques....it will feel very good if we get that done....

So that is a quick lood at our facilities we have at the Arlanda Jets. I don't post it to brag, just to give a look at what has been done. To any of my American friends who read this the thing to understand is that there is no organized school sports like we had when we grew up. No athletic department to buy stuff...every sport is a club and the people who want to have a football team put it together...What we have is a true credit to the committed people within the club that heard many "NO" responses, but hung in there and slowly the NO's turned to "Yes" and it seems to be non-stop right now.  I would also have to mention that we are not the only club in Sweden with a promising future. There are other clubs that are working hard and are developing and educating good football players. As an American who grew up in School sports and coached College football for 15 years, it is amazing to see the hard work that these people put into making the sport work and their clubs work so that our sport can grow....
Until next time...as a lineman remember....To win the battle, you have to have leverage...to get leverage you have to be able to sink your hips...what exercises help you do that??? Do them....