Tough break

As everyone knows, injuries are a part of the game and we had our first injury occur on Wednesday. The good thing is that it wasn't contact related. The bad thing is that was one of our American imports. WR/DB Zack Sledge from SMU was working out back in the states and while back pedaling got his foot caught in the turf and wrecked his ankle. Consequently, Zack needs to have surgery and will not be coming over. That kind of puts us in a scramble mode to find a new American import that is ready to go and can be here in about a week. We have some leads and some calls still need to be made, but I think we will still be able to bring over an impact player who can really help us.

Wednesday was an off day from football and Jim, Joe and I took the opportunity to head up to Germany and visit a castle in the city of Meersburg which is nestled along the Bodensee. It was an absolutely beautiful day. There was a few wrong turns along the way, but that just allowed us to see more scenery. Not to mention that there was also quite a few "adventures" at the multiple roundabouts that we had to navigate. The castle was pretty amazing and I took some cool pictures as well.

Let me also introduce a few other people involved with the team that I will likely write about.

Elka - She is our office manager and takes care of most the communication with the players about practice times. Her English is pretty good, but she isn't quite fluent so there is some difficulty communicating what needs to get done at times.

Luis - He is our other Ameican coach. Luis also coaches the 3 youth teams that play and this will be his 3rd year with the team. He has been a big help just showing us around and letting us know all about the city, team, league, players, and other that we come into contact with. Luis is also my roommate.

Which brings me to my other point. Our apartment is less that a 15 walk from the office and the view is pretty amazing. Let me take you on a tour

Last Saturday, Christoph Piringer our team president took Jim, Joe, and I out for dinner. We went to this restaurant that was on top of the mountain. The only way to get up to the restaurant was to take a cable car. Once you get up to the top, you can see for miles and miles and can see the whole region, which stretches into both Switzerland and Germany. It was kind of foggy on Saturday, but you get the jist.

We have two practices this weekend. One on Friday and another on Saturday. We are starting to install some of our offense and defense this weekend which is a good thing. The only problem is that our American players have yet to get here. They come on Monday and it will be a day or two before they are really adjusted and ready for football activities. Not to mention that we are short an American too, but I have no doubt that once training camp starts on the 11th we will be ready to go and be able to get everything installed.

That is all for now. Once again, don't be shy about sending emails and letting me know what is happening back in the states. Take care

--Josh

The season has started

Things are starting to get settled here and I am starting to feel more and more comfortable everyday. I think I am finally over my jet lag and on a local sleeping schedule. The area here is absolutely beautiful. It is very much like I imagined. I can look out my kitchen window and see the Austrian Alps to the east and the Swiss Alps to the west. Suffice it to say, the scenery isn't bad.

The weather here has been kind of miserable to be honest. The temperature has been around 25-40 degress so it hasn't been too cold. We have had snow/rain for the last 3 days and it is the wet sloppy kind. I don't think I have seen the sun since I have been here either. It is supposed to warm up this week, which will make things even sloppier, but also should allow the snow to melt as well.

On Saturday we had our first official practice and team meeting. We spent the better part of the day doing football related activities at the Olympic Center in Dornbirn. During the morning we did physical testing and then in the afternoon we had meetings. To cap it off we were able to use the turf field there and get in our first practice. It was great to be out coaching again and starting a new season. Plus the fact that I could look up and see the Alps was pretty amazing. That is something that you don't see everyday. Since the snow has yet to melt, we are fairly limited in what we are able to do practice wise. It is either that we are able to secure the turf field at the Olympic Center or we have to practice inside in one of the gyms in town. The turf field isn't the easiest thing to get either since the American football team isn't exactly the highest team on the priority list. Which brings me to my other point.

In case you were wondering, football isn't the #1 game in town around here. It is more like #10 behind soccer, soccer, soccer, basketball, soccer, volleyball, soccer, soccer, and team handball of all things. Suffice it to say, that is kind of strange and frustrating. It is tough going from being the big dog and the premier sport to not even being a secondary sport. It makes everything more difficult because we must wait our turn in line for things. Things are very fluid because of this and if there is one thing that I have learned it is that nothing is set in stone. I am pretty flexible, but it is hard not knowing what to expect at times.

Many have asked me what the level of play is like over here. After our first practice, here is what I can tell you.
#1 There is a wide range of abilities and knowledge base. Some guys are playing football for the very first time. Others have been playing for 15-20 years now. In some ways, it makes it very similar to high school football.
#2 Some guys are very good and easily scholarship athletes. I would say that there are half a dozen Europeans on the team who would be anywhere from low level D2 to 1AA kids.
#3 The guys who have been playing for a while understand everything that you are telling them and are quite well versed in schemes and technique.
#4 In any language and any country, the game doesn't change. The same skills are techniques are required to play well.

It is time for practice. I should go now. Don't be afraid to email and let me know how things are going. j_kuenzel@hotmail.com. We still don't have internet at the apartment, but I will be checking here at the office. Hope all is well back home. Take care

--Josh

I made it

Just wanted to update everyone and let you all know that we made it just fine. It was a long travel day and kind of a pain, but it all worked out. The apartment looks good, but we don't yet have cable or internet. We are starting to get settled and have started working on football stuff. Our first practice will be on Saturday and we will do testing then as well. That is all for now. I will post pictures when I get a chance. Take care

So I am really doing this!!!

I received my flight information at long last this week. Wednesday the 18th is the day that I head out. There is no turning back now. We leave from MSP and go to O'Hare. From O'Hare we make the long trek to Frankfurt Germany. Lastly we go from Frankfurt we fly into Freidrichshafen Germany which is just on the other side of the Bodensee about 45 minutes from Dornbirn. It should be a long travel day, but I wouldn't expect it to be any other way. I will either be exhausted from the travel or excited beyond belief to be there. Hopefully the latter.

As I write this, I am sitting in my office at SJU finishing up the last of the football stuff by creating files and burning DVD's that we will use as coaching tools. It should be helpful to show the players what the plays are supposed to look like when run well. Technically, I guess this really isn't my office anymore since Mike Trewick has taken it over. He has made some nice upgrades and adjustments with the place and I must say it looks good. Suffice it to say that Mike doesn't have the pack rat mentality that I seem to have inherited and is slightly better at interior design. None the less, I don't think he will mind if I use the office for a few more days.

Last weekend I took care of a few loose ends by making a business trip out to Seattle to drop off my car and leave it with my sister Becca. It works out great for the both of us because this way I won't have to find a place to store my car while I am gone. Plus Becca will have a car for the next 5 months while she gets settled out there. I made the trip in 2 days stopping over night in Billings Montana. There wasn't too much trouble except for the last part going over the mountains at the Idaho/Montana pass and in the Washington pass as well. I do love road trips, but I love them a lot more in the summer without the threat of snowstorms. All in all it was a great trip and fun to see Becca and spend a little time with her before I take off.

While I was out in Seattle, SJU Sports Information did a press release about Jim and I heading over to Austria. Consequently, one of the local sports reporters for the St Cloud Times Frank Rajkowski did an article about it that you can read here. I don't know how long the link will be active, but if it does die and you still want to read it just let me know. Frank did a nice job and I had a few people that weren't aware of it congratulate me so that was nice.

As my leave date approaches I am growing more and more excited with moments of sheer panic sprinkled in. I am not so much apprehensive about going and being gone. I am just more consumed with getting everything done by the time I leave. It is reassuring that a) Jim will be there with me and we will be going through a lot of the same things together for the first time and b) I have lived in a foreign country before where I barely spoke the language and got along just fine. Packing is going slowly and every day a few more things are organized and a box or two more get filled.

That is all for now. Next time you hear from me I will be on the other side of the pond. Take care everyone.

--Josh