But what I can be frustrated about is a run of bad luck all at once. The team I am currently coaching and playing for is the Zagreb Thunder. They are historically the first American Football club in Croatia. Since there inception a couple teams have spawned off of them and another couple popped up in other large city's across the nation. The Zagreb Thunder have lots of good things going for them. I mean, they have lots of things that teams would love to have, a core of great hard working guys willing to learn, they have the will power to grow, a little money behind them and even a couple dedicated people really working hard to help the club thrive.
But what they also have in 2012 is......terrible terrible luck. Before coming to Zagreb I was constantly reminded about the talent at wide receiver, and because of that I decided that the spread offense would be the best for the team. Sounds great right??? Well in theory it is!!! But what happens if you lose all your receivers!?!?
Since joining the Zagreb Thunder I have lost many many core players to plain and simple STUPID BAD LUCK. Some of that bad luck being key players moving away to other city's to work but most of it being...just plain old INJURY......even though as a football player we are used to losing guys periodicity throughout a season, no one plans for the kind the Zagreb Thunder has had to deal with. In 2012...
The Zagreb Thunder has lost participation of 5 of our primary receivers.......Losing 2 to jobs, and 3 key guys to injury, including our hard working president/tight end. Because of this we as a club are left with a few brand new guys, most of which are brand new to American football. On top of that the Zagreb Thunder also lost BOTH American Imports including Jovon Williams (Arizona St) and myself and this is no where close to everyone that is banged up.
I cant lie, at first I was frustrated beyond belief, maybe even a little depressed, but now I understand that despite our circumstances we as a team can do nothing but get stronger because of this adversity!!!
Our new receivers are going to have to STEP UP and rise to the occasion! To be totally honest I am nervous but at the same time extremely excited for a chance to be the lucky one guiding these new guys along this unbeaten path!!! It will be my honor to help groom these new players to become the best that they can be. For the Zagreb Thunder is not 1 man 2 men, 10, 20, 30 or 40 men, the Zagreb Thunder is the root of all American football in Croatia and I am proud to be the person bearing the responsibly of watering it, even at the moment where adversity creeps in!
We cannot forget that "Calm seas don't make skillful sailors." So we are going to keep on working with what we got and doing the best we can. So that when we go home and look ourselves in the mirror we know that we gave it our very very very best.
"Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are." -Arthur Golden
No matter how the season unfolds this year, I am looking forward to playing with this great group of guys and am looking forward to both the victory's and challenges that lie ahead!!!!
THUNDER READY, HIT BREAK!!!
