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.....
Showing posts with label random thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label random thoughts. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Thursday, December 30, 2010
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!!
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!!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
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....
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....
Saturday, July 10, 2010
What a crazy few months
I will start with ignoring the fact that I have not updated in a while. It has been awhile, but life has been busy...so I'll just start where I left on and ramble on until I am done...isn't that what vacation is for??
FOOTBALL:
As I have stated in past posts, we (the Arlanda Jets) set a goal to try and build an all Swedish team. That basically means that we don't have the cash up front for an important QB. We had thought about bringing over a guy during break, but we don't have the cash up front for that. Our board of directors had given us the green light to bring up to two import players, but the Senior team was responsible for all the cash. That just wasn't something that could be raised, but that's another post...another time...
We started the season off with high hopes. We openend the season aginst STU Northside Bulls. They are now coached by a friend and fellow American, Todd Ferguson. Going into this game I felt pretty good. We wouldn't have Magnus Lagerborn, a long time Jets player. He was (and still is) rehabing a knee injury. Also, we would be without Jocke Carlsson. What does Jocke mean to the team...in 2008 we scored 520 points in 10 regular season games...Jocke was responsible for around 260 of those points...so, yes, Football is a team sport...but yes, Jocke's abscence is felt...But we had a solid group of players and had some young guys that I had high expectations for this season...here is what happened..Five plays into the opening drive of the season, my QB, a 20 year old kid, Pontus Blomburg, carries the ball on an option play and cuts back for about a 12 yard gain, gets tackled and breaks his collar bone...Not good...Christopher Desezzar, a guy I had repped at QB, but planned on playing at Slot and WR this season, steps in and takes over the QB role. We end up winning the game but we lost Pontus, Anders Olofsson (OL), Anton Källvik...and a few others to injury...and the downward spiral started...
We went and played SMM (Stockholm Mean Machine) and never threatened them...played like a team that was going through the motions...we just couldn't execute on a level to threaten Stockholm. Pretty frustrating, but that is where we were at during the second week of the season.
The third week, we played DIF (Djurgården). This is a team that has some good athletes and has a good organization around it, but is still fighting for identity. They were without there starting QB, and we played a better game and won it convincingly. At this time in the season we sat at 2-1 and although we were still missing a few guys from injury and stuff and Anton had gotten a job back in Norrkopping, I felt like we had a chance to put some things together. We were scheduled to play Karlstad during the first weekend in June, but that game had to be re-scheduled due to the Crusaders playing the London Blitz in the EFAF cup Semi-final (which the Crusaders won and will play a team from Switzerland next weekend for the EFAF championship). This set up an interesting scenerio for us. We would have an off week, but then we had to play Coach Leo Billgren's Tyresö Royal Crowns...two weeks in a row. Now, just let me stop here and first of all, slap my own face for not raising a little cane about the scheduling. First of all, in Sweden, we have 6 teams playing in the top leauge and taking a 6 week break in the middle of the season...why??? "because that's Swedish" and that is the way it is...OK..the scheduling committee scheduled everybody to play each other twice, swaps the home and away the second time through...then they flip the schedule...Now I will be the first to admit that the schedule was sent out and all teams were given the opportunity to give their input in the schedule and I didn't take the time to complain...I just laughed..at the fact that everybody played everybody two weeks in a row with half the season to go...so I can "complain" about it in my blog, but it is my own fault for not saying something when I had the chance....OK..so this set up two weeks in a row versus a team that, on paper, we need to beat to finish third in the league and play the 2 seed in the play-offs....I thought it was good that we would have the opportunity to set oursleves up to prepare for the play-offs after the break. This is where everything started to fall apart...We had very bad practice attendance during the off week and we were able to only suit up 19 guys for the Friday night game one vs TRC. We played a good game. I was proud of the fact that TRC could dress up nearly 40 players (maybe more or a little less) but the game was 7-6 at half and up until late in the 4th TRC had an 8 point lead. In the end, they won it by two TD's and the clock ran out with us having the ball inside the 5 yard line. This set up an extremely important game the following saturday at our place against the same team we had taken 4 quarters with 19 suited up players...they would have to come to our place and I thought, we can get this done and split with them before we go and play our make up game vs Karlstad and when the smoke cleared at worst we still had third place within our grasps...To make a long blog post short, the season basically came crumbling down on us during that week. Bad practices, people gone..still hurt...gone on vacation...weddings...it just didn't feel good...we played one good quarter then slowly self destructed...TRC won the game and we couldn't put a point on the board and they would go into the break counting the days to the play-offs. We on the other hand could only lick our wounds and try to put a team together and go play the current best team in Sweden and see if we could put up a fight...needless to say, we didn't do much to worry CC and the game ended with the crappy feeling in your gut that you just showed up at the gun fight at the OK corrall (google it) with a new bowie knife!! So then starts the break...what awaits the Arlanda Jets after the summer break? Well first of all we will open with at home against the Karlstad Crusaders and then play DIF, SMM and STU...realistically, one would say that we are in a fight for 4th place and when we play STU on the last regular season game, it will be two teams that are playing for either a play-off spot or a qualification game....What are my plans...well to quote a great movie (Shawshank Redemption) "you either start living or sit around and die." I plan starting to live. That is the challenge of Coaching. In any country on every level, you are faced with adversity. All you can do is try to find a way to get the job done. You have to give the critics there say, but you don't have to listen to them. You simply try and find a way to get the job done. That is the plan of the coach. To show up on August 3rd, count the players, see who can do what and put together a plan to "get it done". We have nothing to lose. If we don't the critics will be able to explain why and if we do...well, we'll have one heck of an end of the year party!!
European Championships:
For those of you in the US, it may come as a surprise that in Europe we play the European Championships in American Football over here on this side of the pond. Well, we do and Sweden is actually the defending champions since the last EM was played in 2005. I was a part of that team as OC and OL coach. It is hard to describe the feelings of coaching a National Team, but I would count it among some of the coolest experiences I have ever had. What happened in 2005 started in 2003 when, then HC Kristian Thore explained to me the goals he had and that grand finale would be beating Germany in the Championship game in 2005. When the clocked ran out and we had won, that was my Super Bowl. Yep...an unbelievable moment. The hugs and tears and high fives...the look on those players faces as they celebrated that moment was one that will forever be burned into my memory scrap book!! Time has moved on and I am no longer involved in the National Team. I was on the staff, but life has dealt a few things that I need to deal with and right now I cannot give the National Team of Sweden the time that I could the previous 8 years. So this year, I will stand by and follow the guys as they go to Frankfurt, Germany the last week in July. I hope the best for them and the staff. They have put in an enormous amount of work and I think it would be fantastic to wave the blue and gold during the medal ceremony in Frankfurt!! It will be no easy task, as group play means going through England and France, but I know it is possible. Good luck boys and as "Bear" Bryant used to say..."Go out there and knock them on their ass...then stick out your hand and help them up...then tell them...I'll be right back!!"....not sure that is exactly what he said, but that is how I learned it!!
And Then Vacation Came:
Say what you want about Sweden, but these people know how to vacation. If you're over 40 you get 5 weeks of vacation...needless to say..most people take this time around July...great weather...lots of sunshine and you just hang out. My wife, son and I went to Finland first..We took the boat over and met some friends. Stayed in a hotel with a huge indoor/outdoor pools, and also went to "Mummin Land", an amuesment park. It was a great time. I am still in the "hey, we took a boat to another country" kind of mood, but the hotel, amusement park and friends were great. It was really a good time. From there we went back home and went to the amuesment park in Stockholm...a good time was had by all...After that this summer vacation took an unbelievable twist. We have some friends that have one of the coolest summer houses I have ever visited. It's an old red and white house with about a 20 yard walk to the water and it is the last house on the road...the coolest thing about it is that they let us use it from time to time. We went there to stay the night and check out another summer house in the area. We went to the showing of the other place. I was pretty impressed and thought it would be an investment and we should get it...but it was right by a main road. I was hoping for a more "out of the way" kind of place. On our way back to the place we were staying we say a for sale sign. We turned left and drove about 2km down a dirt road....at the end of that road..that is where this house was...
To make a long story short...or to save typing and possible wrongly spelled words...this place is our new "summer stuga"...it was originally built in 1909!! it has 13,500 square meters of land with it..one usable old barn and one not usable old barn on it!! It is the last house on the road and is guranteed to have 15 billjillion mosquitoes around...but it will be ours...Now, I own land in a country that I was not born in!! This may by the start of the "Great Kennedy takeover" in Sweden...only time will tell!!!
Random thoughts about these past few months:
FOOTBALL:
As I have stated in past posts, we (the Arlanda Jets) set a goal to try and build an all Swedish team. That basically means that we don't have the cash up front for an important QB. We had thought about bringing over a guy during break, but we don't have the cash up front for that. Our board of directors had given us the green light to bring up to two import players, but the Senior team was responsible for all the cash. That just wasn't something that could be raised, but that's another post...another time...
We started the season off with high hopes. We openend the season aginst STU Northside Bulls. They are now coached by a friend and fellow American, Todd Ferguson. Going into this game I felt pretty good. We wouldn't have Magnus Lagerborn, a long time Jets player. He was (and still is) rehabing a knee injury. Also, we would be without Jocke Carlsson. What does Jocke mean to the team...in 2008 we scored 520 points in 10 regular season games...Jocke was responsible for around 260 of those points...so, yes, Football is a team sport...but yes, Jocke's abscence is felt...But we had a solid group of players and had some young guys that I had high expectations for this season...here is what happened..Five plays into the opening drive of the season, my QB, a 20 year old kid, Pontus Blomburg, carries the ball on an option play and cuts back for about a 12 yard gain, gets tackled and breaks his collar bone...Not good...Christopher Desezzar, a guy I had repped at QB, but planned on playing at Slot and WR this season, steps in and takes over the QB role. We end up winning the game but we lost Pontus, Anders Olofsson (OL), Anton Källvik...and a few others to injury...and the downward spiral started...
We went and played SMM (Stockholm Mean Machine) and never threatened them...played like a team that was going through the motions...we just couldn't execute on a level to threaten Stockholm. Pretty frustrating, but that is where we were at during the second week of the season.
The third week, we played DIF (Djurgården). This is a team that has some good athletes and has a good organization around it, but is still fighting for identity. They were without there starting QB, and we played a better game and won it convincingly. At this time in the season we sat at 2-1 and although we were still missing a few guys from injury and stuff and Anton had gotten a job back in Norrkopping, I felt like we had a chance to put some things together. We were scheduled to play Karlstad during the first weekend in June, but that game had to be re-scheduled due to the Crusaders playing the London Blitz in the EFAF cup Semi-final (which the Crusaders won and will play a team from Switzerland next weekend for the EFAF championship). This set up an interesting scenerio for us. We would have an off week, but then we had to play Coach Leo Billgren's Tyresö Royal Crowns...two weeks in a row. Now, just let me stop here and first of all, slap my own face for not raising a little cane about the scheduling. First of all, in Sweden, we have 6 teams playing in the top leauge and taking a 6 week break in the middle of the season...why??? "because that's Swedish" and that is the way it is...OK..the scheduling committee scheduled everybody to play each other twice, swaps the home and away the second time through...then they flip the schedule...Now I will be the first to admit that the schedule was sent out and all teams were given the opportunity to give their input in the schedule and I didn't take the time to complain...I just laughed..at the fact that everybody played everybody two weeks in a row with half the season to go...so I can "complain" about it in my blog, but it is my own fault for not saying something when I had the chance....OK..so this set up two weeks in a row versus a team that, on paper, we need to beat to finish third in the league and play the 2 seed in the play-offs....I thought it was good that we would have the opportunity to set oursleves up to prepare for the play-offs after the break. This is where everything started to fall apart...We had very bad practice attendance during the off week and we were able to only suit up 19 guys for the Friday night game one vs TRC. We played a good game. I was proud of the fact that TRC could dress up nearly 40 players (maybe more or a little less) but the game was 7-6 at half and up until late in the 4th TRC had an 8 point lead. In the end, they won it by two TD's and the clock ran out with us having the ball inside the 5 yard line. This set up an extremely important game the following saturday at our place against the same team we had taken 4 quarters with 19 suited up players...they would have to come to our place and I thought, we can get this done and split with them before we go and play our make up game vs Karlstad and when the smoke cleared at worst we still had third place within our grasps...To make a long blog post short, the season basically came crumbling down on us during that week. Bad practices, people gone..still hurt...gone on vacation...weddings...it just didn't feel good...we played one good quarter then slowly self destructed...TRC won the game and we couldn't put a point on the board and they would go into the break counting the days to the play-offs. We on the other hand could only lick our wounds and try to put a team together and go play the current best team in Sweden and see if we could put up a fight...needless to say, we didn't do much to worry CC and the game ended with the crappy feeling in your gut that you just showed up at the gun fight at the OK corrall (google it) with a new bowie knife!! So then starts the break...what awaits the Arlanda Jets after the summer break? Well first of all we will open with at home against the Karlstad Crusaders and then play DIF, SMM and STU...realistically, one would say that we are in a fight for 4th place and when we play STU on the last regular season game, it will be two teams that are playing for either a play-off spot or a qualification game....What are my plans...well to quote a great movie (Shawshank Redemption) "you either start living or sit around and die." I plan starting to live. That is the challenge of Coaching. In any country on every level, you are faced with adversity. All you can do is try to find a way to get the job done. You have to give the critics there say, but you don't have to listen to them. You simply try and find a way to get the job done. That is the plan of the coach. To show up on August 3rd, count the players, see who can do what and put together a plan to "get it done". We have nothing to lose. If we don't the critics will be able to explain why and if we do...well, we'll have one heck of an end of the year party!!
European Championships:
For those of you in the US, it may come as a surprise that in Europe we play the European Championships in American Football over here on this side of the pond. Well, we do and Sweden is actually the defending champions since the last EM was played in 2005. I was a part of that team as OC and OL coach. It is hard to describe the feelings of coaching a National Team, but I would count it among some of the coolest experiences I have ever had. What happened in 2005 started in 2003 when, then HC Kristian Thore explained to me the goals he had and that grand finale would be beating Germany in the Championship game in 2005. When the clocked ran out and we had won, that was my Super Bowl. Yep...an unbelievable moment. The hugs and tears and high fives...the look on those players faces as they celebrated that moment was one that will forever be burned into my memory scrap book!! Time has moved on and I am no longer involved in the National Team. I was on the staff, but life has dealt a few things that I need to deal with and right now I cannot give the National Team of Sweden the time that I could the previous 8 years. So this year, I will stand by and follow the guys as they go to Frankfurt, Germany the last week in July. I hope the best for them and the staff. They have put in an enormous amount of work and I think it would be fantastic to wave the blue and gold during the medal ceremony in Frankfurt!! It will be no easy task, as group play means going through England and France, but I know it is possible. Good luck boys and as "Bear" Bryant used to say..."Go out there and knock them on their ass...then stick out your hand and help them up...then tell them...I'll be right back!!"....not sure that is exactly what he said, but that is how I learned it!!
And Then Vacation Came:
Say what you want about Sweden, but these people know how to vacation. If you're over 40 you get 5 weeks of vacation...needless to say..most people take this time around July...great weather...lots of sunshine and you just hang out. My wife, son and I went to Finland first..We took the boat over and met some friends. Stayed in a hotel with a huge indoor/outdoor pools, and also went to "Mummin Land", an amuesment park. It was a great time. I am still in the "hey, we took a boat to another country" kind of mood, but the hotel, amusement park and friends were great. It was really a good time. From there we went back home and went to the amuesment park in Stockholm...a good time was had by all...After that this summer vacation took an unbelievable twist. We have some friends that have one of the coolest summer houses I have ever visited. It's an old red and white house with about a 20 yard walk to the water and it is the last house on the road...the coolest thing about it is that they let us use it from time to time. We went there to stay the night and check out another summer house in the area. We went to the showing of the other place. I was pretty impressed and thought it would be an investment and we should get it...but it was right by a main road. I was hoping for a more "out of the way" kind of place. On our way back to the place we were staying we say a for sale sign. We turned left and drove about 2km down a dirt road....at the end of that road..that is where this house was...
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| Kennedy Red-Neck Village!!! opening soon!! |
To make a long story short...or to save typing and possible wrongly spelled words...this place is our new "summer stuga"...it was originally built in 1909!! it has 13,500 square meters of land with it..one usable old barn and one not usable old barn on it!! It is the last house on the road and is guranteed to have 15 billjillion mosquitoes around...but it will be ours...Now, I own land in a country that I was not born in!! This may by the start of the "Great Kennedy takeover" in Sweden...only time will tell!!!
Random thoughts about these past few months:
- It doesn't take numbers to win football games in Sweden..it takes committment and quality...(yes of course, if you have numbers along with commitment and quality..it is better)
- I hate 6 teams taking from May until the middle of September to play a season...(yes, we need more teams in the top level in Sweden...maybe time to look at new ideas)
- I think there is no bigger honour than playing or coaching for a team that represents the country you live in (or are currently living in because your wife is from there..) Go Sweden!!
- Some times in life it is just time to "cowboy up" and ride...(most of the time I say "nut up" but I know my Mom reads the blogg so I didn't want to type that)
- Excuses to fail are easy to find...the reason to succeed is in your heart!!
- I fell in love with Soccer...yes, because of team USA...I left the world cup still thinking that is men in shorts kicking a ball and acting like they have just been nuked or have some type of uncureable epilepsy if anybody comes within two feet of them...and they are officiated by a group of people that are not accountable in any way in regards to the decisions they make during the course of a game...attention Soccer decision makers...you let TV show your games...your better be prepared to use video replay...it took NFL, NBA and NHL a long time to acknowledge that, but they have acknowledged it!! think about it...
- That might have been the longest time I have every thought and typed about soccer in my life!!
- The first song I every remember playing on the Juke Box...was at Hub 'n Lils restaruant in Blanchard, Oklahoma and the name of the song was "Momma don't Dance and Daddy don't Rock 'n Roll" (another google assignment)...
- Am I old fashioned if my parents are my heroes?!?
- I think that the purchase of this summer house will give me an opportunity to totally square away in my life what is really important!! First question...do I buy a chainsaw or do I split the wood with an ax?
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