Eagles Taking Baby Steps Before Big Strides in Improvement
8/10/2010 2:43:00 AM | Football
STATESBORO, Ga. - Headed into the second week of preseason camp, Georgia Southern got through its second day of two-a-days, working out in full pads during the morning session and in shells in the afternoon. The Eagles have 20 practices remaining before they kick off against Savannah State in the September 4th season opener at Paulson Stadium.
"We went in shells this afternoon just because we were getting a little banged up," said first-year Eagles Head Coach Jeff Monken. "I hoped the guys would come out and practice hard this afternoon in shells. There is almost a mindset, that it is not going to be as hard a practice because we're not in full gear. I thought they handled it pretty well. It wouldn't say it was a great practice, this morning wasn't a great practice. Early on in practice it was a little sluggish, but I thought the end (of practice) this morning was better. Little baby steps like that are encouraging."
The Eagles are taking steps in the right direction, even if full knowledge and mastery of the schemes and systems are several strides away. With a large chunk of installation taking place in the first several days, the coaching staff has not installed anything major in the last few days, just a few additions to the offensive and defensive schemes.
Even if the Eagles are taking baby steps, Monken and the Georgia Southern coaches are keeping those steps at a quick pace. The speed of practice helps each player get more experience in drills, skelly and team periods.
"We're getting it better," Monken said. "There are some young guys who are getting a lot of reps, particularly on offense, so it is going to take them a little more time. I'm hesitant to really slow practice down and teach, and walk them through things. We try and get as many reps as we can, maximize our time out here and then spend a lot of time in the meeting room and watching film."
The learning process - combining the mental and the physical aspects of the game - is exactly that, a process. While the Eagles are learning new systems on both offense and defense, they also must learn to meet the expectations of their coaching staff, in terms of effort, intensity and attitude, and then practice and play at those levels consistently.
"I'll never change my philosophy and my beliefs, that is what is difficult about the transition," Monken said. "They are going to have to change to my standards, and I won't back off of that."
The Eagles meet throughout the day on Tuesday and participate in a team activity in the afternoon, but will not practice. They will have their final two-a-day of camp on Wednesday and then return to single practices Thursday and Friday afternoon. The team will practice at Paulson Stadium on Saturday morning and then return to Paulson in the afternoon for the "Meet the Eagles" event from 4-5:30 p.m.
FEATURED SPEAKER: Coach Monken spoke at the Stateboro Rotary Club today and was introduced by President Brooks Keel. The Georgia Southern head coach told the group that the young men on the team really want to win and they working on living up to the expectations the coaches have set. Monken also gave praise to the Eagle coaching staff and outlined the three things that the entire team must focus on: toughness, humility and doing everything with an unrelenting effort.
MEET THE EAGLES: Several of Georgia Southern's fall sports teams will participate in a "Meet the Eagles" event next Saturday, August 14th, from 4-5:30 p.m. on Glenn Bryant Field at Paulson Stadium. Student-athletes and coaches from the Eagle football, men's and women's soccer, volleyball, cross country and the track and field teams will be present to promote their respective programs.
The event on August 14th will be the first opportunity for Georgia Southern fans to receive 2010 fall sports schedule posters and have the Eagle student-athletes and coaches autograph them. Not only will fans be able to snap photos of and with their favorite Eagles, they will also be able to take photos with Freedom, Georgia Southern University's live American bald eagle mascot. Fan favorite GUS and both Georgia Southern's all-girl and co-ed cheerleading squads will also be at Paulson Stadium for "Meet the Eagles." The University Store, with new items for the 2010 season, will be on site as well.
JUNIOR EAGLE CLUB: Free admission for the season opening football game against Savannah State and other select athletics events is just one of the benefits the $15 annual membership for the Junior Eagle Club. Parents can sign up their children, up to age 12, for the 2010-11 membership year and receive an official membership card, Junior Eagle Club T-shirt and goodie bag. For more information about the Junior Eagle Club, please call 912-478-1500 or e-mail junioreagleclub@georgiasouthern.edu.
FALL CAMP PRACTICE TIMES: Sessions are open to Eagle fans and will be held at the Georgia Southern practice fields unless indicated.
August 10, 2010 - No practice
August 11, 2010 - practice 1 9 a.m., practice 2 4:33 p.m.
August 12, 2010 - 2:45 p.m.
August 13, 2010 - 2:45 p.m.
August 14, 2010 - 10:05 a.m- 12 p.m. practice at Paulson Stadium
4-5:30 p.m. "Meet the Eagles" event at Paulson Stadium
