Exploring Poland

Thought I would take a few moments and give a brief report from the road. I took a 20 hour ferry ride from Helsinki to Gdansk, Poland on Tuesday night. There were a few engine problems on the trip, but otherwise it went well. I had two complete strangers as bunkmates. One was an older Finnish gentleman who spoke little English, but he was very friendly. The other guy was named Gregory and he comes from Poznan, Poland. Gregory was a bit flakey. He was a yoga instructor who sold music CD's to make money. He had been in Finland for 3 weeks looking for a wife, but all attempts appeared unsuccessful. He said he will save his money and go back and try again next year. He had some wild travel stories and some that were very entertaining. He told me that 4 guys once "stole" him in Dubai, so he was never going back there. He talked alot about the energy in objects and the reason that the bad guys die in so many American films is because they have bad karma. I nodded my head in agreement and then checked my watch to see how many more hours I had to travel with Gregory. I will talk in later posts about some of the other characters I have met on this leg of my journey.
After arriving in Gdansk, I browsed around for a few hours and then bought a train ticket for Krakow. Several things struck me immediately about this area of Poland. Very few people spoke English and there were some very rough areas in the city. I tried to keep my wits about me and not look lost even though I felt somewhat out of my element. The price of the train ticket was dirt cheap and it took only a minutes on a Polish train to figure out why. The train cars were filthy and the bathrooms reeked something terrible. There were no services or food/drinks on board, so I knew it was going to be a long night. AND IT WAS! I will report on this leg of the trip next time. I do have some great pictures to post when I get back to the states. That is all the computer time that I have left for now at the hostel here in Krakow.

Lights out.

Heartbreaking loss ends season

Well, I must admit that it is very difficult to write about this past weekends game. It was an even more difficult loss to deal with than our loss the week before. The games had major similarities. In both games, we jumped out to a 14-0 lead. We led both games in the 4th quarter and then also ended up losing both games by 3 points. This one was more painful because it ended our season and our goal of winning the Maple League Championship. In this game, we had a 5 point lead with about 3 minutes to play. We also had the ball around their 10 yard line with a first down and they had no timeouts left to stop the clock. It looked as if we couldn't really lose the ballgame. We then had 2 holding penalites called on us on inside runs. We gained some of the yardage back, but decided to attempt about a 30 yard field goal with around 1:30 left to play. Unfortunately, we missed the kick. The Roosters got the ball and drove some 80 yards for the winning score (about a 20 yard td pass) with 1 second left on the clock. We were flagged a few more times on this series, but the bottom line is they made plays and we did not. Their QB did a heck of a job and their receivers made some great catches. We had our chances, but we had poor field position most of the day and an earlier miscue on an extra point and missed field goal certainly did not help our situation. Making the playoffs was great, but we underperformed over the last two weeks and did not close out games like we had the previous 7 weeks of the season. The guys were just stunned after the game and I have not been able to shake this one off very well so far either. It is always hard to know what to say after a game ends like that, but I just tried to keep it in some kind of perspective in our huddle after the game. Teams have to learn and grow from games like this, and I must practice what I preach. I will focus on the things I can do better and try to prepare more for the next one.
In the meantime, I have tried to adjust my flight to come back to the states a few days earlier, but all of the ticket change fees and seat differential charges, travel agency fees, etc.. add up. There were some seats left for me to head back a few days earlier, but the charges are almost like buying a whole new ticket, so I am going to take my scheduled flight back on Sept. 2nd. I have said goodbye to most of the guys and have decided to do a little more traveling before I leave next week. I found a cheap fare on a cargo ship heading out of Helsinki on Tuesday night, so I am going to head over to Eastern Europe for a bit. I should be in Poland sometime tomorrow and then I will decide what to do from there. I have my backpack, a loaf of French bread, some water, and a few days worth of clothes, so we'll see where it leads from there.
Lights out.

A Look Towards The Future

This has been a quiet week here in Seinajoki as my main focus has been to prepare for our Sunday game vs. the Roosters. Hard to believe it will soon be a week since Estalita and the kids left to go back to America. It is certainly an adjustment to not be able to see and spend time with them on a daily basis. I have used some of my time to reflect on this experience and consider some possibilities for the near future. After I leave Finland in 12 days, I will first travel back to North Dakota for 3 or 4 days to tie up some loose ends and pack up some items that we have there in storage. It will also give me a brief time to catch up with some good friends, students, and former colleagues, before I set off in the U-Haul truck to drive back to my new home in Maryland. I say new because I really haven't yet had a chance to live in the home even though we purchased it back in March of this year. I have spent a total of about 10 days there because of finishing my contract at Trinity and then heading off to Finland for the summer. I did shuttle back and forth a few times from the midwest to Maryland when we moved most of our things in April and then again later that month for a two day surprise visit. All in all, things worked out very well for us during our transition back to the east coast. We were able to finally close on the selling of our home in North Dakota last month and now we begin again in Maryland. We left the east in 1995 a week after getting married and ventured out west where would remain for some 14 years. We lived in a number of locales along the way. Those would include Big Sky and West Yellowstone, Montana. Also, there was Park City, Utah and Phoenix, Arizona. Our final stop was Ellendale, North Dakota where we spent the past 6 years while I coached college football and taught in the physical education department at the college. All of those stops were special in some way and hold many dear memories for us, but our final decision to head east was mostly influenced by our desire to live closer to our immediate
families.
My main focus when I return will be to help the kids get settled and be more of a presence around the house to help Estalita. I spent a lot of time working at Trinity due to my full-time coaching and teaching responsibilities and many evenings and weekends away from the family. I will probably do some substitute teaching in the region if I can link in somewhere and I've committed to teaching some distance ed. courses for this fall semester at TBC. Beyond that, I have decided to continue to pursue my writing goals and speak at a few coaching clinics this winter. Estalita and the children had a great time this summer and we are discussing the possibility of returning to Europe to do it again next year. We all feel blessed to have had the opportunity to do this and we feel no sense of urgency to close our minds to the idea of doing it again. The experience was enriching in so many ways and it provided a great avenue for slowing life down and reconnecting with eachother. Only time will tell where the next road will lead to.

Lights out.

Preparing For Roosters

Estalita and the kids arrived safely back home in Maryland and now they have to overcome their jet lag. Kodie got his football equipment and he starts practicing with the team tomorrow. He is really excited about playing for the Steelers team. Essy said the team helmet is an exact replica of the real Pittsburgh Steelers, so that is pretty cool. I am staying busy with practice and preparations for this weekends game vs. the Roosters. It was certainly hard to see my family off at the airport and now I am counting the days until I get to see them again. I felt homesick for the very first time when I told them goodbye and it was really the first time that I felt like getting on an airplane and going home. Our game is on Sunday in Helsinki and that will be my 10th time to the city already since I visited Finland for the first time back in March of this year. I am getting to know my way around there pretty well now. Well, that is about all to report for today. I will try and get some pictures up soon, but my computer access is more limited now.
Lights out.

Dark Clouds

I titled this post as such for two reasons. The number one reason is that tomorrow is the day that my wife Estalita and our three children fly back to the states. We are departing Seinajoki early in the morning and taking the train to Helsinki. We arrive in Helsinki around noon and then we'll head out to the airport. Their flight destination is New York City where my father-in-law will be waiting to pick them up and then drive the 3 hours or so back to our home in Maryland. Needless to say, I am sad to see them go. The apartment is going to seem so quiet and empty without them. We have had a wonderful summer here together and it has quickly drawn to a close. I will be staying on for another few weeks to finish the season before going back on the 2nd of September.
The second reason for my disappointment is the outcome of our game today against the Butchers. We blew a 14-0 lead and the Butchers scored 17 unanswered points to beat us on our home field 17-14. We started fast, but then just seemed to lose our focus and ability to execute on all sides of the ball. Our field position was poor all day and our offense sputtered along after an exceptional 1st quarter. To their credit, the Butchers played a solid game and they didn't get down when we jumped out ahead of them. The downside of this loss is that we are now the #3 playoff seed instead of the #1 seed. We now have to play on the road next weekend against the most potent offense in our league. There was a great deal of frustration and disappointment at the end of the game. Our coaches and players know we are a better team than the one who showed up today. We must play much better next weekend if we are to continue.

The Crocodiles square off against the Butchers

Pre-game introductions

Slivoskey sisters hand in hand

The Tuokko family with Estalita and the kids

Kaylin is proud of her new outfit

Some trampoline fun

Kodie coming after me with water balloons

I must admit I started the water balloon battle by tossing one at Kodie when he got down to hike the ball. I set him up for this and it would have been perfect if the water balloon hadn't failed to break apart on impact with his backside.

Safe travels Slivoskey family. I am going to miss all of you something terrible. I look forward to seeing you when I get back to the states.
Lights out.

Regular Season Coming to a Close

We are getting ready to play our last regular season game on Saturday against the Porvoo Butchers. This game is important to us due to playoff seeding. We need a win in this game to ensure that we can host a first round game in the playoffs. I expect a physical contest with this team as both previous games have been that way. Practices are going well this week in preparation for the game.
Estalita and the kids have started packing for their journey back to the states on Sunday. It will be tough to see them off at the airport and head back to my empty apartment. They have enjoyed their time here in Finland and it has been an enriching time for our family. We have been able to spend a lot of time together and experience many unique things. I wouldn't have considered coming over to do this without them by my side. The team management has been really good to my family during our stay here and made all of us feel very welcome.
Football camp has also started up at Trinity where I coached for the last six years before coming to Finland. It is a strange feeling not being there around many of the guys that we recruited who are now upperclassmen. Summer camp always meant 16-18 hour days at Trinity, but it also represented a time of meeting new players, families, and growing together as a team and staff. I have always felt that summer football camp brings out the best and worst aspects of the game. The weather is usually hot and the hours are long, but the challenge of building a team and the excitement and expectations that come with a fresh season make it a very special time. I wish all the guys at TBC the best for the upcoming season both on and off the field. Keep working hard and the Lord will bless your efforts.

Lights out.

A Contemplative Weekend

Things were really quiet around here this weekend. We had the game of course on Saturday and then we spent part of Sunday watching our junior team (Gators) play and pull out a 31-28 victory. They hit a 30 yard field goal as time expired to win 31-28. Congratulations to the Gators! We went for a few long walks around town and then decided to go to the coast on Monday if the weather stayed nice. We woke up Monday morning to clear and sunny skies again, so we drove a little over an hour to a small town on the west coast of Finland. The town is called Molpe and it is right on the Baltic Sea. We spent a few hours there sunbathing and swimming in the sea. I also did some reading this weekend. When I was at Trinity the last 6 years coaching and teaching full-time, I found that I had very little time for reading. I have always enjoyed a good book, so I have been renewing my passion this summer. I just finished Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides on Friday. This was an excellent book that recounted the greatest rescue mission ever recorded during World War II. The rescue was led by the newly formed Army Rangers and several Phillipino Guerilla Forces. Their objective was to find and safely bring home some 400-500 American prisoners of war who had survived the Bataan Death March and had been held in a Japanese prison camp deep in the Phillipine jungle for some 3 years. If you are not a reader, then you can watch the story in movie form. I believe the movie is called something like the Great Escape, and it stars Benjamin Bratt.
The new book I have started is called Quiet Strength by Nathan Whitaker. It is a memoir centered on the life of former NFL coach Tony Dungy. I must admit that I subscribe to the Tony Dungy school of coaching. I had a chance to meet him when I was younger and most of my philosophies of coaching mirror his in some way. I used to watch Tony practice when he was a Steeler back in 1977-78 playing defensive back for the Black and Gold and I was a young wide eyed kid at training camp. More important than being a great football coach, Tony is a devoted husband, father, and a man with a profound faith in God and the utmost integrity. He and other men like Joe Gibbs crash the myth that you have to be a yelling, cussing, egotistical maniac to be a successful coach in the NFL. Anyway, I have read about 100 pages so far, and I can't put it down. I give this book a solid thumbs up.
Well, it is back to practice tomorrow. Tuesday is my busy day as we have two practices and also a short film session. I have the game this weekend and then we take the train to Helsinki early Sunday morning. Estalita and the kids fly out early Sunday afternoon. It is nearly time for the kids to start back to school in the states, so they must get back and get ready. I'm not sure I want to come back to an empty apartment right away on Sunday evening, so I am contemplating going to Latvia for a day on Monday. There are some really cheap flights on Ryan Air ( as in 10 euros), so I might fly over and do some exploring. Some of the guys on the team went there for a visit during our bye week back in June and they really liked it. I may give it a go on a whim. Here are a few pics from the coast on Monday.

Kamryn leaping from the high dive into the sea

Kodie low-diving it

Practicing for the Airborne Rangers

Mother and daughter

Kamryn getting up the nerve

Some small fish the kids were literally catching with their hands along the shoreline

Molpe Beach

Ouch!

Kamryn off the high platform

Lights out.

Crocs Keep It Going

Our team faced off with the Helsinki Wolverines on Saturday afternoon on a hot sun drenched day in Seinajoki. We started quickly and scored on our first drive only to be stopped on the next two possesions. Our defense scored a safety late in the first quarter and then we added another score on a long touchdown pass to go up 17-0 as play entered the 2nd Quarter. The Wolverines entered into our red zone on at least 3 possesions in the 1st half, but our defense was able to slam the door shut and keep them out of the end zone. We added two more scores in the 2nd quarter to take a 30-0 lead into the locker room at halftime. Our offense kept racking up points in the 2nd half and we led 58-8 with about 9 minutes to play. We began running the ball on nearly every down to work on the clock and the Wolverines kept playing hard until the end. Their big play running back Jason Harrison from UCLA scored on 2 long runs late in the 4th quarter. We have to do a better job of playing hard towards the later stages of the game and not letting ourselves succumb to fatigue and a loss of focus. The final score was 58-20 for the Crocodiles. This win guarantees us at least a # 3 seed when the playoffs begin in two weeks. We play our last regular season game next weekend against the Butchers. The winner of that game will be the Maple League regular season 1st place finisher and ensure themselves a home field game in the first round of the playoffs. The Butchers are the defending champions of the league and a very dominant team. We have a lot of preparation to do to get ready for this game. Our guys know there is a lot to play for next week. I am very proud of this team and the way they compete every week. I have included a few pics from the game and a few from a day at one of the local lakes in town.

A shot of a rainbow on the drive home from the game

Our favorite swimming hole in Seinajoki--- The kids like to jump off this dock and the high platform

Kodie playing some ball with a few local kids

Me and four of our British defensive players--- These guys can really play the game.
From left to right: Jason Brisbane (last year with San Diego Chargers) Shaun Smith (last year with the Carolina Panthers) Dale Powell (One of the best LB's in the UK) Michael Hollands (One of the best defensive ends in the UK)

Our British nose tackle Jame Perrineau is missing from this photo-- I will get him in the next time

Post game team photo

Pre-game introductions

Getting ready for the opening kickoff

Wolverines pre-game

Our newest Crocodile Shaun Smith warming up before the game

The Oline and Dline is ready for game time

Reviewing our offensive game plan at Thursday evening practice

Lights out.

More visitors to Seinajoki

We had our second group of visitors here in Finland this past week. Paul and Nina were here for a few days visiting from Wales. Paul went to school with Estalita back in the 80's when she was living in England. Nina is Paul's girlfriend, and it was our first time meeting and getting to know her. We had a really nice time together during their two day stay in Seinajoki. They brought us some of our favorite goodies from England including some English chocolate bars, fish and chip batter, custard powder, mushie pea mix, (which we all have agreed is an acquired taste) and some other unique treats. Thanks again Paul and Nina for coming out for a visit.
The weather has been beautiful here this week with mostly clear skies and warm sunny days. We made it to one of the local lakes twice this week for some swimming. The kids and Estalita go back to the states next weekend, so we are trying to enjoy some time outside before they leave Finland.
We have had a decent week of practice in preparation for our home game vs. the Helsinki Wolverines on Saturday afternoon. The Wolverines beat us the first time around and they have some very talented players on their team. They have two quality running backs and a big play receiver too. Their starting tailback played at UCLA and he is leading the league in rushing yards. We need to win this game in our quest for home field advantage in the playoffs. We have some key players out with injuries right now, but we did bring in a defensive end who we have been working to sign for some time now. Shaun Smith joined our team in time for our Thursday evening practice. Shaun is from Great Britain, but has NFL Europe experience and also a stint with the Carolina Panthers of the NFL last season. Tomorrow will be his first game with the Crocodiles.

Enjoying a coffee while waiting for Paul and Nina at the train station

Paul giving it a go on some stilts at the park

Taking a break after some fun at the park

Getting ready for the train ride back to Helsinki

Lights out.

A True Slice of Finnish Life

This past Saturday the kids, Estalita and myself had the privilege of spending the whole day at a Finnish summer cottage. We were invited by one of our management members Timo along with his family. The Finnish summer cottage is representative of the best time of year in Finland, which most Finns consider the summer season. Thousands of off the beaten path roads lead to yet more thousands of cottages. A good mokki (summer cottage) is generally a bit rustic, yet equipped with modern amenities. Most of them have electricity for appliances, but part of the attraction of these dwellings is their relative simplicity and their serene setting. Most cottages are located in a forest or near one of the more than 188,000 lakes that are a part of the Finnish landscape. The cottages are often shared by a family or passed down from generation to generation. While at the cottage, the focus is on relaxing and spending quality time with family and friends in a peaceful setting away from the everyday stressors of modern life. Finns talk about the summer cottage experience with a gleam in their eye and now I can understand why. It is a chance to enjoy some warm weather and take advantage of the near endless sun that envelopes this part of the world during the summer months. Here are some of the things that you will find at many typical summer cottages. First and foremost is the sauna. A Finn without a Sauna is like a pizza without cheese. The sauna is a great place to sweat away your troubles. The experience is kicked up a notch when you can run back and forth between the heated sauna and the cool waters of the lake. Rowboats are also very common for getting around from lake to lake or used for fishing. Swimming, fishing from the dock, and picking berries are some of the other activities that Finns are fond of while relaxing at their cottage. Soaking up some sun while reading a good book or eating a leisurely meal with family and friends are some other great alternatives. Well, I hope I have given you a decent picture of what this experience is all about. It is certainly one of the best times we have had during our time here this summer. Timo and Mari really made us feel welcome. Our kids spent all day fishing, swimming, picking berries, going back and forth from sauna to the lake, and many other things too numerous to list. We enjoyed some great food there too including some homemade Finnish pastries that Mari had prepared. Timo smoked some salmon for us that his father had caught from the lake and he also made us some Finnish pancakes over the camp fire we enjoyed that evening. Here are some of the pics from this unique day.

Traditional Finnish summer cottage

Preparing some lunch

View from the sauna looking out towards the lake

Looking towards the sauna

Time for a swim

Aatu is in control of the boat--- He is a master oarsman and very skilled at getting around in the rowboat

The building to the right houses the sauna and the one on the left is an extra guest cottage

Sauna time

Kamryn's first catch of the day

Kodie caught one too

Row row row my boat

Fishing with some cane pole rods

Aatu, Emmi, and Kamryn enjoying some dinner by the campfire

Mari taking some photos and Timo hard at work preparing the pancakes

Sausages and some salmon in the smoker

The open air cooking hut

Kaylin is ready for some Finnish pancakes with strawberries on top

Lights out.

Crocodiles extend winning streak to 6 games

We had an eventful weekend here in Finland. On Saturday we were invited to spend the day at a traditional Finnish summer cottage by the Tuokko family. It was absolutely one of the highlights of our summer in Finland, and I will be posting more pictures and commentary about that experience tomorrow.

We had our longest road trip of the season this past weekend, and even though it didn't compare to some of my 15+ hour bus trips each way at Trinity, it was still a long journey. The game was located about 7 hours from Seinajoki, in a town called Lapeenranta which is very close to the Russian border. As I mentioned before, my leg has been giving me some big time trouble over the past two weeks so I opted to take the train to the game. I had to travel through the middle of the night on both my outward and return journey so it wasn't the most ideal situation. I had purchased a Holiday Train Pass on Saturday which allows me to travel any three days over the next month, and also ensures that I would have four seats to myself for each leg of the journey. However, the Scandinavian train system came through once again as to their misrepresentation in advertising and overall lack of any kind of organization (not to mention the train breaking down on my way home last night). We had experienced several problems with the train systems in Sweden and Norway when traveling there in June, as the train company seemed to routinely overbook the sleeping compartments and use completely different carriages than what was listed on any of our tickets. This didn't appear to be a fluke because it happened on both legs of our journey. The Finnish train system actually does match their tickets with the appropriate carriage and seat numbers, however, they just print 3 or 4 tickets with those same carriage and seat numbers. Let's put it this way, I didn't have four seats to myself as advertised (and explained to me in detail by the ticket sales agent) on any leg of my journey. I did decide to do something about this the other night at 4:30am. I confronted the attendant about the situation, but he explained to me that all seats were full and there was nothing he could do. By this time I was becoming more agitated and probably somewhat representative of the "Ugly American" that I have both heard about and witnessed during my travels in Europe. If you are unsure what an "ugly American" is by European standards, then I will briefly define it for you. An "Ugly American" is any individual who because of their birthright thinks all situations should be perceived, taken care of, and handled from a Yankee point of view, even though they are thousands of miles away from their home country. "Ugly Americans" are usually not hard to find, they can often be identified as the ones wearing ball caps, tennis shoes, and fanny packs, or being overheard complaining about lack of ice cubes in drinks, small food portions, and no air conditioning. Ok, now that we have a working definition I will admit that I probably brought a lot of my Yank attitudes into my conversation with the train attendant. However, it was amazing to me that all of a sudden this "full" train had an empty sleeping compartment just right around the corner from where we were having our discussion. It took just one flick of the attendants wrist and "voila" I had my own sleeping compartment for the first 3 1/2 hour leg of my journey.

Maybe the squeaky wheel does get the oil sometimes

Enough about the train, here is the good news. The Crocodiles overcame some injuries and the long road trip to post their sixth victory in as many weeks (56-21). The game was a tight contest early on as the score was 7-7 early in the 2nd quarter. We exploded for 28 points in the 2nd quarter off a punt return for a touchdown, a turnover, and some big plays in our passing game. Our defense continued to play well and set the tone for the game with their physical style of play. Our special teams units continue to get better as we limited their kickoff return yardage and also blocked one of their punts. Finally, our offense had a big day and posted our highest point total of the season. We did not run the ball very effectively, but our passing game was clicking on all levels. The receivers made some great catches in traffic and held onto the ball even after getting hit very hard by the Knights defense. Charles McCrea continued to make big plays for us, and our QB (Matt Bassuener) rushed for 60 yards and threw for close to 400 yards including 5 TD passes with no interceptions. Matt is a difference maker who plays with an incredible efficiency and confidence. His leadership and poise on the football field is contagious and is a big reason why our offense continues to improve each week. One other great aspect about this victory is that it has allowed us to clinch one of the four spots for the Maple League playoffs which begin on August 22nd. The playoffs are still a long way away so I will continue to emphasize that our team must focus on one game at a time. For this week we have the challenge of playing the Helsinki Wolverines. The Wolverines are a physical hard-hitting team who gave us our worst loss of the season earlier this year. They have had a lot of injuries on their team and are now getting some of those guys back. I expect a very tough and physical game from them because they are a lot better than their current record would indicate.

On another note, two visitors are here from the UK. Paul and Nina live in Wales, and Paul is an old schoolfriend of Estalita's. They would have been here earlier today but their train from Helsinki to Seinajoki broke down half way here.........need I say anymore?

Estalita and I waiting at the train station - good excuse for a coffee

Lights out.