Soccer Preseason Diary: Day 6
8/19/2006 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 6
It seems like just yesterday that we were starting preseason practice and now we are entering the last days of an awesome time down here in beautiful Orange Beach. Today has been our most enjoyable and rewarding day. Thankfully, this morning Annie B. Collins was able to come and join us at the beach and we were all so excited to see her once again. Coach Staley gave us the morning off and we all took full advantage of our opportunity to sleep in. Some of us spent some time at the beach and poolside, but we all relaxed for the sake of our aching muscles and tired joints.
Then this afternoon we loaded up and the caravan headed north to Fairhope, the hometown of Alabama first Academic All-American and all-time minutes played leader Christine Miller and current ??Bama defender Courtney Casto, to host a clinic for the children of the area. We had an amazing turnout of bright-eyed and energetic little soccer players from five-year olds all the way up. Needless to say, during introductions Courtney got a rousing ovation, as the hometown girl should.
We divided up into stations as we focused on soccer basics like passing, juggling, technique, shooting, trapping, and heading. We did demos and then took part in a full intrasquad scrimmage, much to the delight of our newest fans. It's hard not to feel good when you have so many smiling faces looking up at you.
After the clinic we were in for a huge treat. Former Crimson Tide and Miami Dolphins football legend Bob Baumhower and his wife Leslie graciously opened their home to us. We feasted on black & white chicken, wild rice, green beans, incredible ribs with delicious brownies and blackberry cobbler for dessert, all while being serenaded with live music by a talented duo that featured the unique combination of acoustic guitar and tuba. We ate to our heart's content and thoroughly enjoyed getting to fellowship with Bob and his family.
We made our way back to the condos, and rumor has it that Coach, Mitchell, Brody, Zach, and Daniel rocked out hardcore to the likes of Michael Jackson, MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice during the ride. "Hee-hee!!!" We had an awesome day!
Signing off,
The Alabama Soccer Team
