My own personal schedule goes something like this: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are the days that we are out on the field practicing as a team. I don’t have class at all these days because I want to focus primarily on football. Practice is from 12–4:30 p.m. After that I usually have work or it’s designated homework time.
Tuesdays and Thursdays are the days we don’t have practice. We have weights at 6:30 a.m. (some of the guys have weights later in the day depending on their class schedule). Then a little time to grab breakfast before class, which is pretty much nonstop from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. I find time throughout the day to grab food for lunch and dinner but spring is the offseason—time to cram in as many classes as possible.
In general we plan classes and study halls around football. Guys who have study hall have extra hours built into their schedules and need to complete all the hours before the end of the week is up.
When it comes to the personality of the team, we’re all jokesters. We’re always having fun messing with each other, but at the same time know when to be serious and amp up the energy and focus level. At the end of every fall camp there’s a skit night, all new freshmen and transfers have to put on a skit for the team. This is when true characters and personalities come out. It’s a comical night full of laughter and jokes. (Jokes are primarily directed toward the coaches, especially coach Burton).
Right now it’s too early to tell how our team looks compared to last year. We’re about one third of the way through spring ball. I know this, our senior class will make sure this team goes out on a good note in the 2014–15 season. WE WILL BE BETTER THAN LAST YEAR’S TEAM! I promise you that. We have the talent and guys to make a push at the Big Sky Championship and a deep run in the playoffs. As a team we lost some key guys on defense, but we feel like we have the right guys to fill their shoes.
Coach looks to myself and other leaders on the team to set a standard and continue to show our teammates what it means to be a Vik. As leaders, spring is a time for teaching and showing guys what it takes to play. During the spring, we as leaders are trying to change the culture so that mediocrity isn’t acceptable. We are striving to be the team that everyone looks up to. The team that works hard and is the most physical and imposing team for the full 60 minutes of the game.
