And so it begins.  After all of the planning, organizing, preparation, and anticipation...we finally had the honor of welcoming the players on campus on August 17th.  As Coach Giannini and I had discussed many times, there is always a strong sense of excitement that accompanies any preseason.  The excitement - for the events to come, the anticipation of implementing new ideas and techniques, and  the reward of seeing our rookies interact and become a part of the program that our upperclassmen have help build - can be felt by all on the first day.

We begin as usual, with meetings, physicals, filling out official forms, and attending team meals.  They are issued their practice and game gear, as well as become acquainted with the support staff that helps them throughout the year (Tom Perkins-Equipment manager, Tom Bambrey-Athletic Director, Mark Colston-Athletic Trainer).  These people have a big role within our program, so we like the guys to form relationships with these people from the beginning.   

We also put the players through various speed, agility, strength, and endurance tests.  The most "feared" and anticipated of those is the "Bleep Test".  It consists of a player running 20 meter shuttles while an audio tape plays a series of beeps in the background.  We set a high standard of Level 14, Shuttle 1 which was accomplished by a large majority of the players.  Those who did not pass the test will have a chance to retake it.  It is a great way for us to gauge the level at which they trained over the summer and also serve as a baseline for future testing.  Though it is not a "fun" test, the players get a chance to push their teammates and encourage each other through the challenge of it.

Once all of the formalities were taken care of, the team was ready to take the pitch.  We held two training sessions on Monday.  The first of two focused on getting a lot of touches on the ball, technical activities, and doing what everyone wants to do after a long summer off...take some shots!  

We, as a coaching staff, are pleased with how the new players began their first day, and how the veterans set the tone for the training.  We think there will be a great "synergy" that will develop between the upperclassmen and the 14 new freshman.   Only time will tell how this blend of new energy and experience will turn out...but I am sure it will be an exiting preseason to be a part of.  Every day is a new step towards our ultimate goal of obtaining success in our regular season which will enable us to earn a NCAC conference invitation.  Every step counts!

Keep checking our blog for more preseason coverage!

Wabash Always Fights!

-Coach O.