Spokane Shock: Getting Ready For Some Football
Shawn and Lori Mosqueda
Thursday March 16, 2006
At times throughout the practice, players who otherwise are highly regarded in the outdoor game looked like fish out of water. In the outdoor game, wide receivers run their routes differently than they do in Arena Football because the fields are a different size. This is one of the major adjustments the rookies will need to overcome.
Another obstacle the rookies will need to overcome is the fact that they play both sides of the ball. Most of these guys have not played offense and defense in the same game since high school. This is a new experience for them. WR/DB Charles Frederick (E.T.) expressed, "This will be my first time playing defense. I played a little (defense) in high school. I am familiar with it, but I am a little rusty."
We also talked with WR/DB Billy Newman who said, "I have never played wide receiver before, so it will be a challenge. I have covered enough of them, watched film of them. I think I will be alright."
Conditioning is crucial in Arena Football. When asked about his team's conditioning after the first practice, head coach Chris Siegfried said, "I think we are over and above other teams as far as conditioning at this point in time. My goal is to be one of the best conditioned teams in the league. We are not going to drop games because of our conditioning"
Over all, the players were having a great time during practice and seem to be building a good chemistry. I think they'll be ready to shake down the Stockton Lightning in the 2006 season opener on March 30th in the Spokane Arena.
Lori's Take: Like many other Arena Football League 2 teams, today was the first day of training camp for the Spokane Shock. Although the players showed lots of energy and talent, the Shock kicked off training camp with a rough and intense practice.
Head coach Chris Siegfried summed up today's practice by saying, "We've got a long way to go. The first day is never as good as you think it is going to be and never really as bad as you anticipated."
However, head coach Siegfried did go on to say, "There were some good things that happened today. The effort was great and the intensity was very good."
I witnessed the intensity first hand and found myself quite caught up in the moment. If the players are able to pull me into the game during practice, I can only imagine how exciting a regular season game is going to be!
I was initially surprised to see the number of players new to Arena Football on the Spokane Shock roster. They definitely have some hurdles to overcome as they adjust to the differences between outdoor and arena football. However, with their natural talent and Arena Football veterans such as Johnny Lamar, Rob Keefe, Chris DiSanto, Jerome Stevens, Brian Zbydniewski, Anthony Griffin, Nian Taylor, and Tavirus Davis to learn from, I am sure those hurdles are not insurmountable. The fans in Spokane are about to witness some pretty "electrifying" football.
Shawn and Lori with their children Kaiden and Moriah live in beautiful Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. Suffering from football withdrawals, the two diehard Seahawk fans found out that a new team was coming to town, the "Spokane Shock". Shawn and Lori are excited to cover the team as new sportswriters and new fans of Arena Football (you just can't beat year round football). GO SHOCK!!!
Shawn is in the process of completing and publishing an ebook entitled "The Complete HTPC Guide: Everyone's Guide To Building A Home Theater PC". Shawn has a structured wiring company where he helps homeowners create automated homes through the use of home electronics and computers.
Lori is an aspiring children's writer. After years of being an accomplished QA Analyst for a cutting edge software manufacturer, she now enjoys spending her time with her family and writing.
Shawn is in the process of completing and publishing an ebook entitled "The Complete HTPC Guide: Everyone's Guide To Building A Home Theater PC". Shawn has a structured wiring company where he helps homeowners create automated homes through the use of home electronics and computers.
Lori is an aspiring children's writer. After years of being an accomplished QA Analyst for a cutting edge software manufacturer, she now enjoys spending her time with her family and writing.