What a beautiful setting for football--- Just to clarify, I am referring to the background
Crocodiles in the red zone poised to score
Kaylin at the game
Some pre-game offense preparation
Crocodile cheerleaders practicing their routines
The best fans in the world-- although they can get rowdy!
This horse decided to retire after I was done riding
British cowgirl
Kaylin's turn on the pony
Kodie having some fun
Kamryn couldn't stop laughing when the pony was trotting
"I like wearing football helmets more than this hat."
Doing some pre-ride chores
Having a go at feeding the horses
One of Kodie's combo's that he actually eats-- Includes a karjalan piirakka (Finnish breaded rice cake) topped with edam cheese, garlic sauce, and some British HP brown sauce (similar to A-1 steak sauce, yet distinctively different)
Nothing like getting your feet wet
Navigating the rapids
Kodie likes life on the edge
Kodie displaying his inner caveman
A Finnish baseball glove
Estalita making her move
Family chess game
Having some fun at the park
Future QB
Playing a little ring toss
"I wonder if Picasso had days like this?"
Practicing some Finnish baseball
Time for a swim
A day at the lake-- That is our defensive coordinator Eero in mid air-- Kamryn and Eero's daughter Roosa are waiting to go next
One of our favorite swimming holes here in Seinajoki
Finnish words have to be the longest in the world-- Good luck pronouncing the middle word!
Yesterday was a very long day for me. I slept Thursday night from midnight to 2:30 am and then woke up to get ready for my 4 hour drive to Kuopio. I left Seinajoki around 4 in the morning and I arrived in Kuopio around 8 am. I did my presentation for the company which lasted until 10:45. They took me out for lunch and then I drove straight back to Seinajoki. I got home a little after 3 pm, changed clothes, and then left to pick up the British import guys for the game. Our pregame started a short time later and then it was time for kickoff.
I am happy to report that the Crocodiles won the game 35-6. It was nice to get the victory after such a challenging week. We were short on players all week and only had one offensive lineman available for practice earlier in the week. We ended up only having 4 Olinemen available for the game, so I had to teach a few of our Dline guys the position about 2 hours before kickoff. Each of these guys were playing defense already, so I knew it was going to be a tough situation. They both ended up doing a very solid job. We also had another situation that had to be sorted out involving our American players. We have 4 on the team and only 3 can be on the weekly roster and suit up to play. There were many different opinions as to who should play and it was a very uneasy situation. It served as another distraction which coaches tend to loathe, especially when a big game is looming. I believe in the importance of a harmonious locker room and being loyal to players, so that was one factor that weighed into my decision. Cohesiveness and chemistry is so important in team building and change for the sake of change can be a chemistry killer. I also knew that making a different decision would compromise our defense. This is where my Pittsburgh roots probably really come into play. I have to admit that I still believe in the old fashioned smash mouth concept of tough defense, stellar special teams play, and a running game that serves to grind out wins in the 3rd and 4th quarter when a defense is demoralized and doesn't want to tackle any more. This is the identity that I am trying to bring to this team. I like to score points too and that is what is in style today with all the spread offenses. However, I also believe that guys like Chuck Knoll, Bill Cowher, Mike Ditka, and Joe Paterno have done pretty well for themselves playing this style of football.
It was nice to see the guys smiling again after the game and now we can turn our attention to the next contest. We are on the road next week to play the Jaguars. They are a high powered offense and are ahead of us in the standings. We will have to play better to win this next game.
I have included some pictures from the game and some family activities over the past week. Happy Fourth of July to everybody back in the states. I can almost smell the barbecues getting warmed up and picture the sight of fireworks in the air. I wish I was home for some of Grandma Slivoskey's homemade potato salad, made with only the best Hellman's mayonnaise of course.
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