Sunday, November 24, 2019

A Walk Through Practice and a Cultural Experience Trip into Vienna's Historic Center


Saturday, November 23, 2019

It was the morning of the last practice of our three day, five practice, whirlwind preparations for Sunday's U18 game between our Europe Warriors and the Austrian National Team.

We met in the Jufa Hotel's lobby before
a light walk-through practice with
the squad in their game uniforms

We endured two hours in cold, windy conditions.

Offensive Coordinator Kyle Callahan
giving some last minute instructions

Working on the passing game

We ran it some too this morning

He drops, he looks, he . . .

Organizing the Special Teams

Light scrimmage work

#15 QB Mateusz "Big Ben" Wojakiewicz
from Poland's Wroclaw Panthers

Impromptu coaches meeting

#6 QB Adrian Moreno from Spain's
Pioners L'Hospitalet chucks one

OL Coach Honza Rauš going over
plays with some of his BIG  boys

I love this guy to death, he is a great teacher and an even better person.

One-on-One in space

Varese Skorpion
Federico "DJ" DiGennaro
making the catch

After practice, it was time for a photo shoot.

The 2019 U18 Europe Warriors

The 2019 U18 Europe Warriors
Coaching Staff

Coach Rauš came up with this
to rally his troops

The eight 2019 U18 Europe Warriors
with Varese Skorpions ties

With Honza Rauš

Honza and I with
OT Saffet Huyseinoglu from
Germany's Kirkdorf Wildcats

Center Adriano Gartmann from
Switzerland's Calanda Broncos
joined us

Representing Germany's
Magdeburg Virgin Guards
#27 RB Niklas Stelzig,
#33 LB/P Max Höth and
OG Linus Laaß

About that nickname . . .

I spotted this interesting billboard
on the walk back to the hotel

We took the afternoon off to allow the squad time to finally see the sights of historic Vienna, the capital of Austria.

Herding the troops towards
our nearby Metro station

The church by said Metro station

HC Bart Iaccarino doing a break
after we arrived at the
Stephansplatz Metro stop

They were cut loose for the next two hours on their own recognizance to explore the city.

Vienna, with today's chilly weather
and all decked out for Christmas,
certainly got me into the holiday spirit

A carriage ride in Vienna can really
stretch your budget

Some of the boys were posted to
tour the city on scooters

Not I.

St. Stephen's Cathedral

Huge Christmas ornament

Christmas shoppers were out in mass

Cool lights near a church

More shoppers

A well lit old building . . .

. . . and another

Vienna's State Opera House

I just liked the look of this arcade

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a
great German writer and statesman

OL Coach Honza Rauš,
a pink teddy bear and
DB Coach Nacho Cordero

Don't ask, you had too be there. 

Real California burritos
again next week

Why is Honza kicking me in the butt?

Don't ask, you had to be there.

Again.

Austrian Heroes

An ice skating rink around a park

The skaters in action

A HUGE and beautiful
Viennese Christmas Market

White Christmas tree ornaments

I think I've heard of this play

Who knows what it is
but it is a GRAND edifice

Beating his redheaded step-child

That reminds me, right after
Thanksgiving, we head to Mexico City
for a Europe Warriors Women's game

A dome outside the famed
Spanish Riding School

Back in the day, the trainers and horses used in this school were Spanish born and bred.

More with the violence

More with the Christmas Markets

A beautiful, gleaming  fountain

Back at St. Stephen's Cathedral

The Cathedral bells were ringing

OT Saffet Huyseinoglu
"A Boy and His Scooter"

The blue warriors wave on the
escalators to start the trip home 

Our night time agenda was to simply have dinner at the hotel and some final team meetings before lights out and our highly anticipated game tomorrow.

Go Warriors GO! 

No comments: