COACHING OUT OF BOUNDS: Spring Camp in Finland

I just returned from Finland and our spring camp with the Crocodiles. There were a few bumps along the road, but that is something I have learned to accept when traveling so far away from home. My first little bump came in Amsterdam as I learned my flight on to Stockholm would be delayed due to electrical problems with the plane. The maintenance crew made quick work of the problem and changed out a part from another plane. Soon, we were in the air and on our way to Stockholm. I was greeted in Stockholm by a severe blizzard and near white out conditions and soon learned from the locals that the city was experiencing one of its worst winters in some 30 years. I did some sightseeing in Stockholm, but things were a bit limited due to the heavy snow and slippery walking conditions. Later that evening, I took the bus back out to my plane and spent the night. I say plane, because that is where I spent my first night on the road. I often look for unique and unusual places to stay when I'm traveling and the Jumbo Hostel just off the grounds of the Arlanda International Airport in Stockholm fit the bill. This 747 was flown commercially from 1976 until 2002 and it now serves as a hostel for travelers in this wonderful city. I rented out one of their 4 person rooms, which was certainly a bit cozy with 4 people. However, the price was right at 35 euros and the location is very convenient to the airport. There are 25 rooms in the converted hotel including a cockpit suite for the more adventurous traveler. I summoned the front desk attendant for a quick tour and she was kind enough to take me around for a look at the conference room, black box suite, cafe, and aforementioned cockpit room. This was truly a unique and affordable way to spend the night and as it turned out, I spent a second night there on my way out a week later.

My second glitch of the trip was traveling on the Viking Line ferry over to Finland. I have traveled on these ships before during the summer and the experience is actually quite good. The Viking Line ships are equipped with great restaurants, casinos, night clubs, shopping, live music, etc.... The journey is quite long as you travel through the Baltic Sea over to the port cities of either Turku or Helsinki, Finland. The trip lasts between 14 and 17 hours depending on what city you are traveling to. The ships are equipped with comfortable sleeping cabins, so it isn't very taxing to travel on these floating resorts. In any case, the sea was full of ice and these ships began to get stuck the day after I arrived in Finland. Two ferries collided at one point as the winds and ice battered these large boats. Ferry service was suspended as ice breakers came to rescue the ships and clear a path in the sea. My return trip was cancelled, so I had to adjust my schedule and travel on a night ship once a thin path was cleared by the ice breakers.

I had a very limited stay in Helsinki, but I was amazed at the amount of snow in Finland. The harbor was unrecognizable and full of ice packs and copious amounts of white powder. My time in Seinajoki lasted about 5 days and we had some valuable time together as a team. I saw great improvement in our younger players and was encouraged by the addition of Pontus Bondeson to our football team. Pontus played his college ball at Duke and he brings a great attitude, size, strength, and tremendous skill to our interior line. Maybe most impressive of all, he is very coachable and has a great passion for the game. I also had a nice stay at Mika's house. He and his girlfriend Leena have made me feel at home both times I have stayed with them over the last few years. The Tuokko family had me over for dinner on Sunday and my stomach is still grateful for that wonderful meal. Timo's wife Mari made this delicious roasted meat dish with broccoli and Finnish potatoes. There was also the usual selection of Finnish desserts and sweet rolls. It was also nice to see their kids and take back a few things they made for my kids. I had a chance to catch up with our team president Jari and my friend and fellow coaching partner Eero Martinmaki. Jari is now the team president and he has a great vision for growing this team. Eero has a very good mind for coaching football and he brings a lot of good ideas to the table. Despite the harsh weather, the trip to Seinajoki was very worthwhile. In some respects, it felt like returning to my home away from home. I was able to meet many of our new players and put in some of our base offensive and defensive plays. I am hopeful that this time will pay dividends when we start our season in May.

The trip home was less eventful, but still worth reporting. The trip across the Baltic went fine even though the ice was still thick. I had a great day sightseeing in Stockholm on the back end of the trip. The skies were clear and the sun was out. A feeling of spring was certainly alive in the air. I spent the day walking around Old Town and exploring the National Museum. The museum had some works on display from the great Dutch painters Peter Paul Reubens and Anthony Van Dyck. There were also some works from Monet, el Greco, and even a handful of Rembrandts. After another night at the Jumbo Hostel, I began my long journey home. The last bump in the road was a mechanical problem in Detroit after a 5 hour layover!!! This time it was pressurization problems in the cockpit and I was just about ready to start walking home. I was nearly stranded for the night there, but the airline located another aircraft for us after another short delay. I finally made it home after a 26 hour travel day and lots of adventure along the way. Soon, it will be time to book the next flights and head back over for our second summer of American football in Finland.