A Busy American Football Wednesday

Wednesday, 11 May, 2016:

It was American football all day long in three separate bursts.

First up was a 7:45 a.m., 90 minute session at Södervikskolan. This is the school that I visited on Monday but sans the needed equipment to conduct an introduction to the great game of American football.

As stated in a previous post, every year the kids from Södervikskolan play a game of American football in the Spring versus their arch-rivals that attend Runbyskolan.

I have been led to believe that this is a heated rivalry on a par with Washington-Washington State, SC-UCLA, Oklahoma-Texas, Auburn-Alabama and Santa Paula-Fillmore.

Their 2016 renewal of this classic contest is coming up in about three weeks. They will play a 7-man/woman version of American football.

About 14 of Södervikskolan's best

were in attendance

Tackling Drill

This video is NOT

for the faint of heart

Inter-squad Scrimmage

Bombs Away!

It was good times indeed and a lot was accomplished.

From Södervikskolan, I was dropped off at Thomas Kök & Catering for my daily free meal. It was 9:00 a.m. which is their opening time so I was thinking breakfast.

They are in lunch mode from open to closing at 2:00 p.m. it turns out.

As it turns out, I like a thick ball of hamburger meat, mashed potatoes and green peas for breakfast!

Tomorrow, is Thursday which in Sweden is the traditional day to make what we call in the USA, Swedish pancakes.

And it's all you can eat!!!

After breakfast, I opted to walk the mile and a half back to Icelandia II through the woods.

It was quiet

It was green

It was peaceful

Nature can be dangerous

Lots of big boulders in this forest

A young cow enjoying the day

Gunnes Gård looked GREAT!

At 3:00 p.m., Part II of my American football day would begin for an introductory training session at Runbyskolan. I left early for the two mile walk to the school.

Yes, I know that their is a potential conflict of interest in coaching both teams in the Big Game but this is Sweden after all. The Swedes have been neutral in world affairs for over 100 years, so naturally I'm neutral in this rivalry.

The Swedes LOVE American

Muscle Cars

I'm in the right neighborhood

A soccer class was in progress

when I arrived at Runbyskolan

So was a class in Brännbollsyran

As near as I could tell, this is a Swedish version of baseball.

I must note that this was a rustic setting for a P.E. class.

Nice Swing

Finally, it was 3:00 p.m. and our turn on the soccer pitch.

A young girl with a good arm

This receiver showed

LOTS of promise

We tackled at this school too

The tall receiver will hit you!

We only had seven athletes at

Runbyskolan today

Still we scrimmaged a bit at the end

Mixing it up

It is early and we have only had one day of practice at both schools but the sports book at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas has already installed Södervikskolan as an early 8 1/2 point favorite in the Big Game.

The over/under is 43 1/2 points.

I went home after the training session at Runbyskolan but not for long.

If you recall, our Wäsby Warriors Head Coach, Thomas Andersson, is also the Head Coach of the nearby Sollentuna Stars. He asked if I could help him with their version of the U11 Mighty Minions tonight starting at 5:45 p.m.

Of course I said "Ja."

Thus a bus ride to the Upplands Väsby train station followed by a short train ride to the Sollentuna Central station were in order. From there, Thomas picked me up for the drive to the Stars' training grounds.

 And I thought that Runbyskolan's

field was rustic

Pastoral is a good word.

Warming Up, look out

for that Bomb on the right

U11 scramble for a helmet

Gear Up!

The Stars also have three U11 teams like the Warriors. The Stars' teams will be called the Chargers, Redskins and Saints. The appropriate jerseys have not arrived as of yet.

Thomas Andersson

Sweden's Pied Piper of American Football

A little touch football to end

the practice

"Hi, my name is Axel but

you can call me Mad Dog!"

Before the first play of his touch football game, the two teams lined up about five yards apart and did their best impressions of the pre-battle scenes in "Braveheart."

During the taunting, Axel yelled at his opponent in a Colts jersey "Hey number two, I'm going to KILL YOU!"

Number two believed him.

So did I.

Lena

Pacific Lutheran University

Class of 1999

When I saw her sweatshirt, I had to ask her about the Lutes.

Not only did she graduate from PLU, so did her husband. Their son is a good looking prospect in the Stars' U11 program.

I mentioned that our former Catania Elephants QB's Grandfather was Frosty Westering, PLU's Hall-of-Fame Head Football Coach for years.

She responded by asking "Do you mean Chad Johnson?" I of course countered, "No, his younger brother Jason." Lena paid attention in college!

Lena mentioned that she once took a class that Frosty taught at PLU and that, at her request, he drew a football play for her which she still has saved in her college scrapbook as one of her prized possessions.

She also told me that she is a proud owner of one of Frosty's books supposedly about football but really much more about life.

Such a small world . . . 

Thus ended a long but fun day of American football, Swedish style.