Terrorist Attack in Barcelona and Our Last Day With the UDLAP Aztecas

Thursday, August 17, 2017:

The terrible news of the terrorist attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils today sickened all of us.

The Cambrils attack happened just a kilometer from Coach Bart Iaccarino's home. His wife and almost one year old son are safe but his level of concern has made it absolutely necessary for him to change his travel plans from next Monday to the first available flight to Barcelona tomorrow night to be back with his family.

The attack on Barcelona's Las Ramblas has left at least 13 dead and over 100 injured.

As for Laurie and I, Barcelona is probably our favorite city in Europe. Every time we go there we spend a huge amount of time walking the Las Ramblas pedestrian street that is usually packed with thousands of people enjoying the sights, sounds, cuisine and street performers that this wonderful walkway has to offer.

It was just such depressing news to hear.

Meanwhile, back in Cholula, Mexico . . .

It was our last day with the

coaches at UDLAP

Thank you Google Images

That is the Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Los Remedios sitting atop the overgrown Tepanapa Pyramid with the Popocatepetl volcano in the near distance.

Cholla and Puebla are ringed by several inactive volcanoes.

At least they were inactive while we were there.

Coach Mike Wood goes Rambo

Mike showed incredible fortitude as he is seen here in our hotel lobby sewing up the bleeding wound from a knife attack he suffered last night in a local bar.

Or maybe he just tore his shorts and is repairing them.

A different volcano as seen

from an UDLAP practice field

Part of UDLAP's main campus

Near their Student Union

They have HUGE ladybugs in Cholula!

After eating breakfast and doing a little souvenir shopping in the Student Union, we decided to take a walk through the campus before returning to the football offices.

"He's built like a brick shit house"

I guess this is the torso of the guy that this old phrase is referring to.

She longingly admired the

brick shit house despite her

broken ankle

"Templo del Dolor"

The Temple of Pain as it is called is the Aztecas home football field.

The stands are small, steep and

definitely NOT OSHA approved

AZTECA PRIDE

behind the end zone bleachers

at the Templo del Dolor

A different view of the

Popocatepetl Volcano

In front of the Main Gym

UDLAP football coaches office

With Coach Oscar Sánchez

I've spent most of my time shadowing Oscar and asking him probably way too many questions.

He is an excellent offensive line coach and I have learned many new technique ideas from him.

I love the way he interacts with and teaches his players. 

Four National Championship Rings

Since Head Coach Eric Fisher took over the program in 2009, the Aztecas have won the Mexican National Championship four times and have been in at least one other final.

Part of the reason for their

success is that the staff holds

the team to these core values

They stress these ideas

as well with their players

Everything that we observed the Aztecas coaches and players doing the last three days was rooted in the principles stated in these two posters.

The work schedule for the UDLAP program this week as school was in session was/is as follows:

Monday - Heavy weight room day and meetings

Tuesday - Two hour practice and meetings

Wednesday - Two hour practice and meetings

Thursday - Quick, intense weight room day and meetings

Friday - Walk through practice

Saturday - Scrimmage in Mexico City with the Politechnico Universidad Burros Blancos

We'll be at the scrimmage on Saturday to be sure to root on the Aztecas.

 An intense work out

The Weight Room session today was done in three groups with each group being closely observed by the coaches. The three different starting times insured high intensity and little standing around.

There were eight, five minute periods in the 40 minute weight room session followed by a ten minute stretch period outside while the next group started their intense workout. Only two players to a bar, so there was little rest time and maximum intense effort.

This workout was all about high intensity pace which is exactly the way the Aztecas want to practice and play.

 The first two periods were

dedicated to Cleans

The Aztecas 3-5-3 Defensive

Philosophy in a nutshell

More Cleans

Here are some videos of the Aztecas' Group One workout:

Cleans

Squats and Push Press

Back and Hamstring Strength

Squats and Medicine Ball

We said our final goodbyes and greatly appreciated thank yous to the coaches who could not have been more open and helpful to us.

The trip to Cholula to visit the UDLAP Aztecas program was amazingly good on all levels for the six of us.

There was only one thing for us to do now . . .

Find another GREAT place to eat
on the "Avenida del Pecado"

We were joined by Azteca DB/Special

Teams coach Remy Palacios, his girlfriend

and her nephew at the far end of the table

Remy was our official host for the last few days as he is a longtime friend of Jesús Sánchez. Remy played football for the UNAM Pumas back in the day with Jesús' brother.

We could not be more grateful for the hospitality that he and everyone associated with the Aztecas program showed us all.

The two hour drive back in the rolling sardine can that was our rented Dodge mini-van was smooth until we got to Mexico City where we were hit by an intense tropical down pour that included periods of hale and lots of thunder.

Thus the usual Mexico City traffic jams became even thicker and slower.

Near the Hertz rental agency on the way to returning our mini-van, we drove through an area of the capital city called Contreras.

Needless to say, I liked it and the Contreras mural that we drove past seen in the following video.

Contreras Neighborhood

and Family Pride

Our time in Mexico is quickly coming to an end.

On Friday we will be conducting clinics for the coaches at Mexico City's Heroic Military Academy, home of the Aguiluchos.

Saturday we'll watch the Aztecas vs. Burros Blancos scrimmage.

Sunday we'll meet with Coach Raúl Rivera Sánchez, the President of Mexico's National American Football Federation.

Finally, Monday evening I'll head home to beautiful Camarillo, California to be with my bride.

It has all been good up to now but I'm yearning to get home.

Again, GRACIAS Aztecas coaches for a great three days!

Pray for Spain