Recruiting Times

How was all of ya'll's Thanksgivings?? I spent the Holiday in Dallas recruiting from Thursday night until Sunday afternoon. It was fun though there was a lot of talent, this year! Tooo much talent. I don't have a ton of scholarship money available, unless I take some from my current players. So you know the decision that has to be made. I have to make the Jedi-like decision to either go after some players that look good in these club games or stick with my current ones. This year will be more of the go after thing (we were 9-9-2) because we need to get better. Fun times at band camp for some of my girls.

Yesterday we set up for Christmas. I was like Clark (Sparky) Griswald hanging those lights. I'm here today by the Grace of God and a capable if not wobbly ladder. I love this time of year! My wife somehow has purchased 3 CD's of crap Christmas music Randy Travis singing Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer, stuff like that. Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole maybe even a lil Dean Martin is a little more of my flavor.

O.K. kiddo's whats your favorite Christmas song and who sings it? Me? you ask, well mine is ....White Christmas by Nat King Cole. Nothing better

Later

Alec and I are up at school right now. We just got back from a trip to McDonalds for breakfast and now (as we watch cable in my office) I will type this then clean this disorganized office. A is watching some cartoon about imaginary friends (which is annoying to me - very unrealistic) and eating his pancakes with his hands (His mom would die).
This will be a fun week because we will do nothing!! Thanksgiving of course is tomorrow: great food and two football games. I will then leave tomorrow night for recruiting in Dallas for three days. I love that because I get to see the girls I have offered money to for next year play and hope they accept my offers. So this would be the same way I have spent the last 11 Thanksgiving weekends. I love routines! In fact I truley feel sorry for you shoppers on Friday. How in the world can you do that? Crowds, noise, parking and having to walk walk walk to shop shop shop. Ya'll have serious problems! Anyways I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!

Favorite Thanksgiving foods
1. Turkey
2. Mashed potatoes
3. Green Beans
4. Augratin Potatoes
5. Gravy

Foods to avoid on T- Day
1. Sweet Potatoes
2. Stuffin
3. Anything else not on the above list

Later

Meeting statement

After the season is over I have individual meetings with the girls. Its always very stressful for some of them, I guess scared of what I will say. I was going through my files the other day and heres a statement that I used to give them. I was much more clever in my youth.

I, understand that this meeting is about me, myself, and I. Coach’s goal is to give me feedback and suggestions on how to improve the way I play and to answer any questions I may have. I will not be concerned with what he is saying to other players, all I will be concerned about is myself. Coach has no deep diabolical agenda to weaken me or lead me astray with the information he gives me. He really wants me to know how the coaching staff views my skills and role on the team. I will receive his version of reality and sometimes that reality will make me happy, mad, sad, or maybe even bored. Despite what Jack Nicholson’s character (Colonel Jessup) says in “A Few Good Men”, I feel that I can handle the truth.

I just talk to them now without having to sign this. I'm getting boring in my old age!

Later

Footballism

Hi, I'm Jeff Trimble, I'm 35 years old and I'm an addict. I love football! I watched three games yesterday without a thought to the contrary. After church I watched two games back to back then took a break for two hours before the Sunday night game last night. There was one point in which my wife asked me if I really did enjoy watching all this football. I honestly looked, blinked and slowley said "YES". I have to admit I laid on my back the entire time and didn't miss a snap - except for switching to NASCAR race. My back is killing me from just laying there. It was a great afternoon, I never get to do that. I picked the worst job for my addiction to college and pro football. All I do is work weekends and I'm always gone! BIG game tonight, my lil peeps, Dallas vs. Philly. I have started getting nervous already. I will get to Rob's at 7pm for an hour of pre - game then the kick -off. I cannot wait!!

Later

Boredom

Imagine that - I'm blogging again. This is what happens when I have nothing to do for the next 40 weeks. I hate the finality of the finality. I know the season is over but to know the season is over a week later is just as hard. Ahhh but its time to finish up recruiting! This is almost as stressful as coaching a game. I have probably 100 girls that have written me (at least) now they have written 20 other coaches so don't be impressed. Out of the 100 we are talking to probably 20 and trying to keep talking with them on a weekly basis is no easy task. The next step is to evaluate them and figure out how to use the scholarship money that we have to get these girls in. Trying to not over pay or insulte them with our offer is a fiasco also. The joys of coaching!
I am loving the first season of LOST! The show is brillant! Almost done with it and we have TIVO'd the entire second season thus far so I will be up to speed in a week or so!
Presently I am having the end of the season individual meetings with all the girls. Brutal honesty is a crazy thing! Its hard investing in these girls and trusting them and then telling some of them that we will be moving on without them. But we were...wait for it...9-9 this year - the ship is sailing my lil players!!

Later

You're A Joke

Thursday November 3 -
12:43pm - "You're a joke Sir" - Jeff
12:34pm - "Keep your mouth shut coach" (displays a yellow card) - Ref.
1:02pm - "that was a hand ball, C'mon sir" - Jeff
1:03 - "I'm warning you coach" - Ref.
1:05pm - "Was that a hand ball?" (said sarcastically) - Ref.
1:05pm - "Shut up!" - Jeff
1:05pm - "Thats it!" (red card displayed) - Ref
1:05pm - 3:05pm - I watch the game from the hill overlooking the field
Ahhh yes, my lil pretties, the joys of getting kicked out of your first soccer game as a coach (in the Conference Quarter-finals)! Basically, I called the Ref. a joke, got a warning (yellow card) then after he thought he was funny, by being sarcastic with me, I lost a lil control and told him to shut up. So my assistant takes over and I go to the showers. My team won in a shoot out (penalty kicks) but in soccer a red card carries a game suspension for the game after the game you receive it in. So I miss the semi final game against our rivals the next day (West Texas). Now soccer is not like football or basketball where the coach makes a lot of game time decisions but we do substitute and change the way we play at times during the game. My poor assistants had to get my team through a penalty shoot out (pick the five shooters). The next day the girls stepped up and played incredible! We won in the first overtime and went to the Conference finals for the first time since 1999. We did lose in the finals 1-0 but it was an awesome game and weekend. A lot of drama and nerves, I couldn't watch the shoot out (in the quarter finals) so I stayed in the gym til I heard cheering and looked out to see us win! I did see the game winner in the semis and that was the best I have felt all year. I came back onto the field and got mobbed by my girls. Even though we lost in the finals it was a great way to end a weird year!

Later