Week 2 Day 1

New Design Lineman Of The Week Belt

Blank Belt. 

 Last year I started what hopefully will be a tradition here at Vero Beach High School (VBHS)  This belt is not a toy.  This heavy metal and leather championship belt is the same one used by boxing or other sports for their champions.  I buy them completely blank.  My wife Marty cuts vinyl graphics and adds them to the large gold plates to personalize the belt for each year's class.  The design is what THEY want.  A few weeks ago, I started asking the seniors what THEY would like to see on their belt.  Our big senior center (Louie Rahal) said he wanted pancakes.  So, what looks like flapjacks with butter running down the sides is indeed pancakes.  Hey, its their belt, so they can have whatever they want, but they have to win it.  After each game, the offensive line coaches (Pete McDonald and Ken Willis) will break down each play for each player.  Each coach has his own grading system, but it generally involves (+ / -) for each play, and some sort of grade is given for correct steps, finishing blocks etc...  Whomever grades the highest for the game will get to keep the belt for the week.  (I remember my Dad giving a railroad spike for his award.)   (By the way.  PANCAKES are what every lineman strives for.  This is when he crushes his opponent over onto his back and lays him flat onto the ground)

Now days, very few kids want to play offensive line.  It generally starts when they are young.  Youth league coaches will gather all the kids up in a huddle. He will announce and pointing to an area:  "Everyone who wants to be a running back go over there"   "Everyone who wants to be a wide receiver go over there!"  "Everyone who wants to play defense go over there!"   The offensive line group is often empty.  (On the rare occasion you do have a kid who wants to play offensive line, you generally have a good player.)  Yet, the offensive line is easily the most important position group on the field.  These kids rarely get any credit in the headlines.  I wanted to create an award especially for them.  No other position is eligible to win the award.  Even though I no longer coach the offensive line, I did not want the award to go away.  Sometimes being a coach is so much fun!

Love These Kids.  

Today was a typical Monday practice.  Today was our first day in full pads, so we all came in a little early to deal with soft pad issues and so forth; thus, we ended the heat acclimation period in the process.  We are cleared to go full pads for now on.  Today was a very hot day, and the heat index was off the charts.  Coach J built in many water breaks; therefore, our kids did just fine.   

Funny thing about kids.  Last week I was feeling pretty good about my group, and went into the weekend thinking about different things we still needed to touch on this week.  Today it looked like we had not practiced at all last week.  Mental mistakes drive me crazy, and I felt agitated since I got out of bed early this morning.  Practice did get better later in the morning, so maybe it was me.  For the record, I still think this running back group is going to be special.  

More later.  

GZ