Day 1

I was wide awake at 5:15am this morning. The throbbing pain coming from my neck area would no longer let me sleep. I tried laying flat on the mattress in a vain attempt to relieve the pressure. Then I tried propping my head slightly to see if I could stretch out my neck enough to get some relief, but even that did not help.  I knew the only thing that would help me is to fill the bathtub full of hot water and soak for awhile before it was time for practice.  I tried to be quiet so the running water would not wake my wife, but it was too late.  Marty knew I was uncomfortable once again.  I have no idea what is wrong in my neck and spine, but I also know that football is starting, so any chance of me going to the doctor will have to wait....Football comes first, and everybody I know understands this is how I think....but this does not make it right. (This is why my knee is still not repaired from two years ago.)  Funny, Marty is a practice manager for several physicians and surgeons, so treatment/help would be easy for me to get; however, I know my time on the football field these days are coming to an end, so I don't want to get into anything major until I call it quits because of the rehab and down-time involved.  I will attempt to treat it myself for awhile, but I am a little concerned....cervical and spine stuff sort of scares me...but not enough to address it until after the season.  There is a fine line between being tough...and being an idiot.  I think I may fall into the latter.  

I was driving to practice this morning at 6:30am.  The black skies were threatening thunderstorms already.  The small rain droplets started forming on my windshield.  The humidity hung in the air like a cheap blanket.  I had no idea a tropical storm is looming, and rain would be threatening for next several days.  I arrived at school and grabbed my coaching bag which contains my rain gear, whistle, and watch (A watch is very important in our system, Coach Jankowski runs a tight practice schedule)  I also grabbed my DonJoy knee brace so graciously given to me my a friend and colleague Jeff Kagan.  I slowly walked up to the back door of the locker room.  I reached out and pulled the handle to enter.  Any doubts of coaching this year were immediately erased.  

I entered into the large room and heard the usual chatter by the players, and I was greeted warmly by several of them.  The locker room actually did not smell too bad today, but all that is about to change tomorrow because of the wet clothes which will no doubt be in each locker tomorrow.  I looked over to the coach's office and saw a few of the coaches getting dressed, and I took the usual ribbing as is our custom.  I was told there was a team meeting at 7:15 am.  Coach Jankowski was waiting for all of us there.  lenny addressed the team as usual...went over everything we needed to know for today, then released us to make our way over to the practice field.  I felt at home once again...coaching is what I was born to do.  

The team went through our usual routine for a practice day.  The defense started their dynamic warmup, the skill group started their perfect drills, and the linemen started their getting better period.  Then the rains came down....completely flooding our practice field.  The (lightning warning) horn started blasting.  Thats it!  We were off the field by 8:45 am.  We got a few odds and ends completed and  called it a day.  Two a day practices are no longer allowed in high school football.  

Thats all for today.  

GZ  

Introduction to My family Again

Hello to everyone once again.  It has been awhile since I have written in any of my blogs,  so I have decided to start a new blog all together.  It will be much easier to get caught up this way; afterall, a lot has changed in my life since I first started blogging over five years ago.  This season may or may not be my last time stepping on the gridiron as a football coach.  I have not made this decision yet, but I am still getting that slightly sick feeling in my stomach as I prepare for practice tomorrow morning.  I am looking forward to smelling the freshly cut grass, and the experiencing the slightly muddy smell of the damp soil.  I look forward to walking through the locker room and seeing the kids, and I also look forward to addressing the coaches in our office.  Will I get beat up by the coaches....YES!  I have stated before that you must have thick skin to be a coach in our program.

I am now entering my 33rd year of coaching football.  I have been coaching almost as long as my daughter Kristin has been alive, and I have been coaching LONGER than my son Michael has been alive.  Where has time gone?  My knee is shot, for I have not had it fixed yet. I am having cervical issues with my neck and spine...the pain is pretty intense at times.  My ankles hurt, my elbows hurt, and my hands do not work as well as they used to.  I will probably pop a few BC Powders to help me deal with the pain of just being out there on the practice field.  I have learned long ago to just keep quiet and deal with my issues....sympathy is hard to get around here.

Changes in my Life 

My Hero Mike and son Mason.  

 Meet Mason...my new grandson.  Good looking boy huh?  Mason is the first born child of my son Michael and his wife Alexandra (Alex)  Mike is still in the US ARMY, and he continues to be my hero to this day.  Mike is more man than I ever hope to be, and now he (and Alex) have given me this wonderful present.  Unfortunately, the baby is out in Colorado...and I am in Florida.  Rest assured I will be going out there as soon as I can to see the baby once again.  Mike's wife Alex is too good for him. She is such a great mother.  I would love to meet her parents one day when I go back to Germany where they live.  Mike and Alex and mason now live in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  Mike is stationed at Ft. Carson.

Kelsey-Kirby-Grice  

Remember these kids?  These are my grand babies that I have mentioned so many times in my previous blogs.  They are getting so big, and growing so fast.  They are the children of my daughter Kristin and her husband Joe.  Kelsey is now 12 years old.  Kirby is 6 years old.  Grice is 5 years old.  These kids are the sole reason I am alive today, and I talk to at least one of them daily.  Just hearing their voice makes me feel better.  

I want to talk about my daughter Kristin for a second.  I will honor her previous request and not post photos of her without approval.  Why I don't know, for I think she is the most beautiful woman I know.  Kristin and I are very close...a real daddy-daughter relationship.  She completely understands me, and I understand her.  She accepts my deficiencies as they are.  She knows what I am thinking and what my response is going to be.  It has not always been this way, but the older she gets, the closer we become.  Kristin is very intelligent (Vanderbilt Grad) and much smarter than I am.  Kristin and I have an agreement... well, lets put it this way.  I will not have to worry about bed sores when I get old.  

Kelsey Age 12  

Kelsey reminds me so much of her mother.  She has followed in Kristin's footsteps and is now a junior high school cheerleader.  Kelsey is...and will always be the light of my eye.  

Kirby Age 6 

Kirby is a real pistol.  The slightly built little firecracker has turned out to be the little athlete in our family.  She started gymnastics late last year and has quickly flourished.  In her first state meet, she placed (1st all around)  and became  the state champion in her division....all with very little training.  I cannot wait to watch her progression.  Kirby is just now coming around to PawPaw's style of love, and I will now kisses and hugs unexpectedly.  I love to see her smile.  

Grice...Age 5  

Grice is my first born grandson.  I love to hang out with him and get him under my wing.  He loves to work on motors and engines with me as well.  This kid has huge hands and huge feet...not that this matters to me much.  lol  

I will try to post a daily blog entry in this new blog.  make no mistake...this will primarily be a football blog, but I will mix in other stuff often.  People say I am a good story teller, so I hope to add a few memories along the way.  I am out of practice in my writing style, but I tend to get better the more I write.  Please be patient with me for a few entries.  

See you tomorrow.  

GZ