Tuesday, February 7, 2017

The Adventure Continues . . . EuroBall IX


EuroBall Adventure IX has been a possibility for some time now, needing only official club Board of Directors approval to make it a reality.

Last night, said Board of Directors held their meeting and approved my return to the . . .

 Wäsby Warriors!

 Back to Sweden for a third time

We'll be near Stockholm

This is the same club of youths (U15, U13 and U11 teams only) that I helped last Spring in the wonderful little city of Uplands-Väsby, Sweden located about 15 miles north of Stockholm.

I am excited to be rejoining this group of players, coaches and parents who made last Spring so enjoyable for me.

This new book will be
a GREAT help I'm sure

As was the case last year, I will be charged with teaching fundamentals to the players and coaching the coaches during the months of May and June which is the off-season for the Warriors.

This June will mark the tenth anniversary of my retirement from teaching. During these ten years we have been blessed to be able to coach American football in five different European countries, a total of nine times.

It started in Italy, Sicily to be exact, coaching the Catania Elephants in 2008 and 2009.

Typical Sicilian BBQ
with the Elephants

Next up was a fun season in the south of Sweden coaching the 2010 Hässleholm Hurricanes.

2010 Mid Sommar
Celebration in Sweden

In 2011 we stayed home for an entire year, but the wanderlust was too much for me so I accepted a job in the most naturally beautiful spot that I have ever seen, Switzerland. The 2012 season with the Thun Tigers.

The Tigers gave me the BEST
coach's gift that I have ever
received, a genuine
Swiss Cow Bell
AWESOME!

Our next stop was in the the wonderful country of France in its Food Capital, Lyon. We were blessed to meet so many wonderful people here during the 2012-13 season coaching the 12-0 DIII National Championship Bron-Villeurbanne Falcons.

 One of many amazing French meals
at Sophie's with Papa Georges

Singing the French National Anthem
before the 2013
DIII National Championship Game

We stayed home in California during 2014 and again got the travel bug for our efforts. In 2015 we were headed to Spain to take charge of the Murcia Cobras. Being in a Spanish seeking country with yet another great group of teammates and their families was a blessing as usual.

 The food in Murcia was great!

The Cobras were emotional players

By 2016, I still wanted to go overseas to coach the great game of American football but I really no longer wanted to be away from our family for five to seven months at a a time. Thus entered Sweden's Wäsby Warriors to the rescue with a two month contract for last May and June!

 Teaching American Football
to a Swedish Junior High
P.E. class 

GREAT interception
by a Warrior in red

The success of the two month program in Sweden led to a similar two month program in Spain in October and November of 2016 with both the Osos Rivas and one of their feeder teams, the Guadalajara Stings, in the greater Madrid megalopolis.

 With the Osos Line,
I'm a MEDIUM!

 Teaching American Football
to a Spanish Junior High
P.E. class

My beloved Stings!

Of course, we still have
a special spot in our
culinary hearts for tapas!

So that's it, eight great stops in five different countries coaching American football to men and women ages anywhere from 47 to 8!

And now, we are going back to Sweden for a third time for our ninth EuroBall Adventure.

It's GREAT to be a Warrior!

Again.

Reading Is FUNdamental!

Peter May is a fine mystery
writer suggested to me
by France magazine

I was instantly hooked by this Cold Case novel.

 This is the 18th Jack Reacher
novel that I have read

The blame for this particular addiction lies squarely on the shoulders of Mike D'Antuono who first sent me a Reacher novel back in 2010 when I was coaching the Hässleholm Hurricanes.

As I said, I'm hooked
on Peter May's Cold Case
writing style

Unfortunately, the Camarillo Public Library does not have the first three of these Enzo Files novels.