Soccer Preseason Diary: Day 4
8/18/2006 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
The University of Alabama soccer team is gearing up for the 2006 season with preseason training camp this week in Orange Beach, Alabama. Throughout the week, www.rolltide.com will chronicle Alabama's preseason workouts through a series of diary entries from the Alabama players leading right up to the Tide's season-opening scrimmage at the UA Soccer Stadium on Saturday, August 19 against Samford at 7 p.m.
Day 4
What's the first thing you think of when you think of the beach? Swimming leisurely in the Gulf? Strolling care free in the white sand?
Well for most people that would be the case. For all of us on the Alabama soccer team, that was not the reality for us this morning. Instead of going out to the soccer field for practice as usual, Coach Staley decided we should have an actual beach workout. So we gathered together in front of our condos bright and early this morning. Sporting his Hawaiian print board shorts, Coach Staley had quite the workout in store for us.
First order of business was for us to grab our floats and head into the water. Unfortunately, we were not going to be kicking back, floating around and soaking up the sun like the multitude of onlookers in our midst. Coach swam out and directed us through lots of innovative exercises in the water. Eventually we swam back to shore and hit the beach. And we hit it hard!
We started off doing shuttle running in the sand and then coach debuted "the Log." It was basically a primitive type sled with a harness, similar to something he had seen on TV. Yesterday he apparently mentioned the idea to Danny Martin and his Orange Beach Parks and Recreations staff, and wouldn't you know it, by the next session the guys had found a log and built the whole contraption. We can assure you that sprinting in the sand while pulling a huge log behind you is as hard as it seems. With her brute strength, Jordan O'Banion ran so hard that she actually snapped the harness. Much to Coach Staley's delight, the managers fixed it so the rest of us could experience "the Log." Thanks a lot guys.
After our hardcore beach workout on the hottest morning by far, it was back up to our rooms for lunch and a little rest and relaxation. Some of us spent a little time out at the pool and pretty much all of us spent time napping to recuperate.
For our evening session we transitioned from our usual scrimmages to working on set pieces and restarts. It felt really good to start implementing game strategies and really makes us realize how close the season-opener is.
After yet another delicious dinner, we took our tired bodies back and it was lights-out on another wonderful day in Orange Beach.
Until tomorrow,
The Alabama Soccer Team
