Rain, Rain Go Away and TAKE THE COLD WITH YOU!

Wednesday was a rainy day in Lyon. As usual this time of the year, the temperatures cold but bearable unless the wind kicked up.

It would in strong, freezing gusts during our second practice with the Junior team in the evening.

While waiting for the bus into town, I took note of the moss growing on the wall of the local Petanque Club. Petanque, if you will recall is a French favorite sport akin to a combination of lawn bowling and shuffleboard.

Twigs

Tiles

The Mossy Knoll?

The T2 Tram Tracks

Simply for a change of pace, I opted to take the tram instead of the Metro into Gare Perrache today. It was nice to view the sights of the city instead of being underground most of the way.

Maybe this person celebrates

Groundhog Day too?

Place Bellecour was dreary

Vieux Lyon leading to St-Just

Regal

Escargots

They looked good, I may have to buy a dozen to cook at home. It would probably be safer to eat some in a restaurant prepared by someone who knows what they are doing. 

Cadet Team Huddle

Tonight was the last practice for the Cadets at 6:00 p.m. before their season opener at home Saturday afternoon against the Giants from St-Étienne. It was a good two hours as the Cadets practiced hard, it didn't rain and the wind did not kick up.

Our second practice at 8:00 p.m. was for the Junior team who has a bye this weekend. The wind finally showed up in time for the start of this scheduled two hour workout making the conditions miserable to say the least.

Only 11 Junior players showed up, due to equal parts of there being no game this week, the weather and the fact that the French National Football (Soccer) team was playing Germany in a live, televised match. Unfortunately, this practice was halted prematurely when one of our players broke his ankle in a drill.

Speaking about football . . .

Mike Moon

Head Football Coach Pacifica H.S.

It was announced this week that Mike Moon had accepted his first Head Coaching job at Pacifica H.S. in Oxnard. The Tritons have got themselves a good man!

I had the honor to work with Mike for several seasons at Rio Mesa H.S. where he spent 12 seasons as first a Defensive Backs Coach and then for the past five seasons as the Spartans' Defensive Coordinator.

He will bring lots of passion to the table for Pacifica for many years to come!

You can read more about the hiring by clicking on this link:

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2013/feb/05/rio-mesa-assistant-moon-hired-as-pacifica-head/?vcspreps=1

Speaking of a football hiring, this is as good a time as any to announce . . .

I'll be helping out at
Newbury Park H.S. during the 2013

I was contacted during my recent stay in California by Panthers' Head Coach Gary Fabricus about coming on board as a volunteer coach with the J.V. team with our son Michael.

Because of my commitment to come to France at the end of September to start coaching the Falcons, I did not coach a high school team in 2012. That was the first prep season that I missed since starting my coaching career in 1970.

I did help Newbury Park before coming to Lyon by covering the Varsity Defensive Line Coach for about a week while he was called away from the practice field due to family commitments during two-a-days. Additionally I was employed as a spotter for both the Varsity and J.V. teams during the four games that they played before I left for France.

The Panthers coaching staff is top notch and, simply, a bunch of good guys coaching for the right reasons.

This should be fun.