Wednesday, March 3, 2004

NO REST FOR THE WEARY 

I decided to give the team two days completely off after the big weekend.  We were tired. They have a big school week this week, because spring break is at the end of next week.

I can't believe how far I got behind in the office in three days, a weekend no less.  I worked until 11:00 p.m. last night, way past the old bedtime.

RED SHIRT BLUES

There was plenty of excitement on the team front even with two days off.  We made a mistake and played "red shirts" in our 4^th game Saturday, which is a no-no.  These red shirts are players who play for the first few games, practice for the year, and do not use up a year of eligibility.  Well, they have now.  They are only allowed to play in 3 games.  This whole rule is a bit silly.  It seems to me that if you are a red shirt, you shouldn't really be allowed to play in any games.  If a guy blows out his knee in an early season game or something like that, there should always be a petition process available, but what is the real point of having a conditional rule.  Make it cut and dried.

Red shirting has always been around.  As a club, we never focused all that much on encouraging freshmen to red shirt.  I have started to talk about it more recently.  Last year, 2003, there were several players from the 2002 team still on campus, finishing up their degree.  It occurred to me that a few of these guys had hardly played at all as freshmen.  I began to think more about how much I would rather have most 23 year-old seniors than most 18 year-old freshmen.  This fall I talked about it in the fall meeting.  I like the idea for some freshman to spend a year working more at school and acclimating to the new responsibilities in their life, and having them just come to practice when they can.  They also get a year to prepare for the financial demands of playing for us, because the idea is that they (red shirts) don't travel, etc.

I think it is too early to really know how this red shirt thing can work for us.  Last year's freshmen are all sophomores or they are gone, and this isn't going to help things either.  I do hope they change the rule.  I guess ultimately I am looking for ways to keep guys out, interested, and part of the family.  Everybody is on the bus for this year.  Hopefully we can find some positive goals from this and put them in motion right now.

BACK ON THE TRACK TODAY

We will hit the practice field again today (weather permitting), preparing for a home game Saturday vs. Washington University of St. Louis (weather permitting).  I don't know anything about them, except they were the #16 seed in St. Louis last year.  They made the tournament.  That says something to me.  They are coming all the way out here to play us.  That says something, too.

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