This won’t be a long post. Its a few minutes after 6 and I have to get into the shower soon. A virus forze up my lap top last week and was unable to write.

I was exhauted everyday I got home after football practice. Our Classic-sort of a dress rehersal- went well and I sense the coaches were pleased. The freshmen and JV squads get games this week. Luckily they’re at home. The opener is Friday against a local rival. It should prove to be quite the civic event.

My classes are smaller, less likley to act up. I’ve noticed a difference in atmosphere. Its been awhile since They were this small – range from 20 to 24.

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Its been a nice long summer – one of benefit in its personal renewal. I don’t quite have a handle on what exactly is different though, but maybe the long experinec of another school year will provide answers.

We have a community kick-off today at our stadium. Some Pop Warner teams will play followed my four middle schools. Our three teams – varsity, JV and freshmen will play this evening after being introduced. The band and cheerleders will be there, too. Small town football is a community event.

Like most teachers I didn’t get totally ready for the week. But the first couple of days will be administrative passing out textbook and workbooks, going over my syllabus, etc. The online gradebook system hasn’t been updated enough so I couldn’t do my seating chart yet. Thats best done the first day to help create a learning environment. Hopefully it will be up over the weekend. I might even go in for a little while tomorrow.

My son starts college Monday at a little Methodist school in Tennessee. He’s made himself into quite a good bowler and will do so there. His mom and step dad are taking him there today. Not being part of his life has been a regretful, lonely burden but I’m extremely grateful my ex-wife has done so much to foster our relationship.

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I’m getting better at getting up in the morning, having put on my pot of coffee at 445.

Tropical Storm Caludette proved to be ,much ado about nothing and provided little rain during the day and a nice breez throughout the afternoon. It was another pleasant day for our 5pm practice. I really like what we are doing by getting kids acclimated to what will prove to be significantly more heat at 230 when school begins next week. Our head coach is really good about getting done by 5 on school days so kids can get home for homework and to be with their families in the evening.

Two of our starting OLs returned yesterday to practice one from heta illness another a bruised shoulder. Getting them the time they needed made all the difference in the world.

We had one classic ATF Grade One sprain where a golf ball immediately appeared over the outside of the ankle right above the bone. If we were making a textbook, it would have been a good one for a photo opportunity. The player’s older brother played her too, so talking to his dad on the phone fairly straight forward. The familiarity that trainer’s have with the families of kids is unique and something that’s not paralleled in health care. High school trainers see their kids everyday. Some like me are also teachers and have additional avenues to establish realationships.

Just the varsity will lift weights in the morning. The rest of the day I’ll have the chance to work in my classroom. I’m trying to rearrange furniture this morning along with getting used to all the new paperwork they’ve decided to give us.

I’ll be teaching just Biology I to freshmen again. Most of my kids will be average to below average learners as advanced freshmen has signed up for Honors Biology, an intensive Biology for medical professionals or an AP Environmental class.

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Its 545 am. I’ve been getting up earlier the past two weeks in an attempt to cast aside the comfort of sleeping in during the longest summer I can remember. Sleep didn’t come easily last night.

We’ve gone retro and are going to be doing about two weeks of two-a-day football practices. The kids are ready after enduring two months of intense work-outs three mornings a week. Not me. Life’s getting turned upside down. Just teaching is a lifestyle choice. Couple it with being an athletic trainer during football season, it becomes all consuming. But I take comfort in that both are something I feel I do well and personally benefit in a way I never really have before – even in my days in the big leagues.

Football is Florida is a serious matter comparing favorably with Canadian hockey. Friday nights are an event that rejuvenates even the most weary coach/teacher. Somehow a new spring in your stride emerges when the bell rings to end the day.

I have no illusions as I know the entire season will be a grind on me as i make sure I am also at all the freshmen and JV games whereever they are played. Papers get graded at a slower pace. It helps that technology has created an online gradebook so we can enter grades from home at heaven knows what hour. During the course of these busy two weeks, I’ll have to get over to my classroom to get organized. We practice during the entire teacher work week.

Names of players and coaches will be changed in my entries. Off we go.

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