Posted on 08/13/2012 8:21:07 AM PDT by SandRat
FORT HUACHUCA — Wrapping up their 4-day pre-season camp on Sunday afternoon, the Arizona Wildcat football team turned to members of America’s armed forces to help them better understand what it means to work as a team.
And with the Wildcats taking the field on Sept. 1, the dozen or so soldiers tasked with training the young athletes pulled no punches, opting instead to call on one of the Army’s greatest team-building weapons; the Fort Huachuca Leadership Reaction Course.
“It’s a lot of fun getting work done, getting better, and becoming a family,” said inside linebacker Cody Ippolito.
“All these Army people, you have to respect them. They’re really nice down here,” he said. “They show you how you have to have teamwork and trust in one another.”
Tasked with completing eight obstacle, many of which required crossing a pool of water, the team was broken up into groups of 10 before going through the course under the supervision of soldiers working out of the Continental U.S. Theater Network Operations Security Center.
“It’s great when we can partner with the local community. It’s a great thing, both for my soldiers and for the players,” said Lt. Col. Greg Griffin, the man tasked with overseeing the operation.
“This has been fun to watch. You see some of the guys take a leadership role, so its been great,” said Wildcats head coach Rich Rodriguez, adding that he appreciated all the effort put forth by the soldiers.
But as much as the Sunday gave coaches the chance to evaluate the team, and soldiers the chance to interact with the community, it was all about the players having fun.
“It’s fun out here, competing against my teammates,” said defensive end Reggie Gilbert.
After completing three days of grueling pre-season workouts, a few members of the team were eager to jump into the pools of water they were told to avoid, though most tried to stay dry.
“No sir, I did not,” Gilbert said when asked if he had taken a trip into the drink.
“And hopefully it will stay that way,” he said.
Asked about the upcoming season, players and coaches alike responded that it was more about focusing on what is happening now rather than what will happen when the season begins.
“We are more focused on the process right now,” Coach Rodriguez said.
“It’s been a good camp. The post is terrific, we got some good work in, and I think the team got some good bonding experience,” he said.
Once, a government sponsor invited me to a post club dinner for the “Cowboy Poets” society and they had a guest who spoke, garbed in the US Military clothing of the wild west time of the US soldiers chasing the Mexican bandits and IIRC some talk about Geronimo, etc....it was fascinating - sabres, pistols, heavy wool tunics, etc.
From his talk, I opined that the territory was ecologically different than today. A little more lush with some local rivers, and perhaps some green areas, too. If you drive up on the old part of the post at Huachuca near the downrush from the nearby hills, you'll see greener areas and some very old living trees you don't see anywhere else. I don't know exactly why, but I've come to an opinion that the local ecology has changed since then, likely because of the harnessing of the Colorado river to a more manageable existence by the Hoover Dam.
Once, a government sponsor invited me to a post club dinner for the “Cowboy Poets” society and they had a guest who spoke, garbed in the US Military clothing of the wild west time of the US soldiers chasing the Mexican bandits and IIRC some talk about Geronimo, etc....it was fascinating - sabres, pistols, heavy wool tunics, etc.
From his talk, I opined that the territory was ecologically different than today. A little more lush with some local rivers, and perhaps some green areas, too. If you drive up on the old part of the post at Huachuca near the downrush from the nearby hills, you'll see greener areas and some very old living trees you don't see anywhere else.
I don't know exactly why I formed this opinion, but I eventually came to believe that the lands in Arizona changed ecologically because of the harnessing of the Colorado River's unpredictable behavior with floods, uncontrolled dispersion, etc., by the Hoover Dam's construction.....changing the green-ness in some parts to equalize for others. I don't have any proof of this, however.
My Oklahoma State Cowboys will be going for the hat trick against the Wildcats in the second game of the season. I’m glad they got to experience the LRC - I did it three times while in ROTC and it is a great test of reactive leadership. Given Rich Rod’s recent lack of success with other teams, I think my Cowboys stand a good chance for success when they visit Tucson.
LOL, you have nothing to worry about against Arizona. Rodriguez is an offensive innovator, but his system is complex and takes at least three years (plus recruiting the right players) to be successful. At Michigan, his offense was clicking well in Y3, but the reasons he got the boot were 1) NO defense, and 2) very substandard special teams. I wouldn’t worry about AZ until at least Y3, assuming he has a competent defensive coordinator.
I broke my leg on that course back in 1997 when I slipped and struck the edge of the pool. I stuck it out and finished the course after bracing my leg. The doctor wasn’t real happy with me.
I got to love that area. It is actually where I want to retire when the time comes.
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