Well the truth is that I'm not actually living in Marbella, I actually don't really know where I'm living. I guess the house is in Nueva Andulucia, which I is supposedly near Marbella, but like most things in Spain, it is what it is and no one seems to give a damn. I do know that I am living in a very expensive home with the team president/head coach and his family. I live in the finished basement (Shark Shack) with AJ, my new teammate from Worcester. We've got a really cool set up down here with separate rooms, a few couches, a big flatscreen tv, and a bar. The best part is that this week we're getting an Xbox 360... that's the bonus from el Prez for the big win last Saturday.
Playing football has been a lot of fun and it's the reason I'm here, but to be honest, we only have 2 practices a week for two hours each and then the games on Saturdays. Living with the team president allows for some additional game planning and fine tuning of the playbook, but there is a lot of down time. Fortunately, there's always something going on over here...
The most obvious reason for constant action is probably the fact that Mike and Ann (who we live with) have 7 children. Chrystal is 2 months old, Connor is almost 2 years old, Charlotte is 3 years old, Cady is 4 years old, Chloe is 6 years old, Chase is 8 years old, and Cooper is 10. As you can imagine, living with 7 kids under the age of 11, creates some pretty hectic times, but luckily the basement is just about self-sustaining with a fridge and a bathroom and a good working lock. However, I've always really enjoyed being with kids, and its a lot of fun playing with them. Obviously it's a lot more enjoyable when you're not required to care for them 24/7 and provide for them, so I'm kind of getting the best of both worlds.
They also have 1 year old dog who is always competing for attention or jumping onto the counter to eat food. He's a schitzu, and I've had some bad experiences with schitzus in the past, so at first I thought I'd hate him. Luckily he's actually turned out to be not so bad. The best part is that there's a female English Bulldog living next door. AJ and I are trying very hard to get those two some alone time. I'll keep you updated on the success of that venture.
On top of that, there is the constant allure of the sun and beach. One step out of my dungeon and I can immediately see the potential bene's (beneficial rays: sun rays that provide a sweet tan) just flowing all over the place. My amazing parents bought me an Amazon Kindle right before taking off and I'm finding that reading books on the beach is going to be a pretty great, time consuming hobby of mine.
I'm really enjoying getting to speak Spanish all the time. I still mess up a lot but can definitely hold a conversation and get things done when I'm out and about shopping and what not. Sometimes I get a little nervous, but the wine is really cheap here so that's become a non-issue. Speaking of wine, AJ and I were dragged to a wine tasting last Friday, but it turned out to be actually quite interesting. They served us a bunch of food even though "it ruins the wine tasting experience"... I think they knew I'm truly a fat kid.
Well I really must be off to bed, although I haven't changed the time on my computer clock and it says only 8:30, I'm aware of this little time change thing and don't want to sleep through any potential bene's tomorrow. (Dillon, I'm trying, if this one isn't up to par, I think you're just going to have to pull the plug on me.)
Oh ya, I've put up a few links at the top on the side of this page; I have some pictures to look at as well as links to some of the Spanish football sites, a link to a google map of the house I'm living at, and of course, the great tale of Mr. Adventurer. We'll see ya.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sharks Crush Lions 32-6
We had a huge win yesterday 2.5 hours north in Granada. It's a really cool town with huge snowy mountains as a backdrop. What a perfect day for football too, not too hot, not too cold, and not a cloud in the sky. We were a little nervous all week that we weren't going to have enough players at the game; you need 22 players dressed or else you forfeit. All week we had guys getting sick from a bug going around and a few guys had work/family commitments and couldn't make it. We took the field with exactly 22 guys. Lucky.
We got the ball to start the game and immediately starting pounding it down their throats on the ground. Once we got into the red zone, we ran a perfect bubble screen to my roommate AJ for a 20 yard touchdown. Our kicker is one of the sick players, so I took a halfback dive in for the 2-pt conversion to go up 8-0. We stopped them and got the ball back on our own 5 yard line. Two plays later AJ took another bubble screen 92 yards for a score and a new Sharks record for longest play in history. We missed the try, but were up 14-0 very early.
The second quarter was ugly, we had the ball close a few times and but were either stopped or turned it over. So we went into the half ahead 14-0. The Lions had a big play on the opening drive of the second half and got the ball down inside the 5. They punched it in a few plays later for a score. They also must have been missing their kicker because they went for two as well. The QB rolled out to my side and tried to thread one in behind me but I made a really cool one handed interception and started taking it the other way. Now I'm no Usain Bolt, so when I heard AJ yell my name, I turned and pitched it and he took it the rest of the 70 yards for 2 points. That was huge, because now we were up 10 points and it was a two possession game.
Our American QB Mark had a few good passes in the 3rd quarter to our #2 receiver, Jose Luis. And then our 250 pound bull of a fullback, Tokero, punched it in for another score from a yard out. We held strong defensively, had a few more interceptions, and then in the fourth quarter we were really starting to wear them down. I had a couple of big runs, but then the big moment came early in the fourth quarter. From 20 yards out, I bounced a dive left to the outside and ran for daylight. Saw the pylon and scored my first career TD in Spain as well as my first as a running back. It felt good to get the first one and really seal the game away. We were up 32-6 and there was no chance for Granada. They made a few more tries but we ended up taking a knee for the win a few series later.
We committed much fewer penalties this week, but still a little too many. This was a huge win for us cause it sent a message to the rest of the league that we can score points. There are only 5 teams in each of the 3 conferences. We play in the National Conference against Sueca (Valencia), Granada, Coslada (Madrid), and Barcelona. We play each of those teams twice and the winner of the conference goes to the playoffs. We have a big game at home against Coslada this Saturday coming up and they playing Barcelona right now actually. You can see the complete league standings at www.AEFAweb.com and there is also a write-up of the game on our website www.marbellasharks.es. This weekend is big because it's almost like our home opener, since last week was a monsoon and we had a very small turnout. We're expecting a decent crowd, we have a popular local DJ coming, and the cheerleaders are excited for their first game.
After that, we have a bye week before we play at Barcelona. Let's hope we can keep this winning streak alive.
UPDATE: Although our starting kicker was not at the game, apparently Granada didn't have goalposts, so that's why both teams went for two point conversion tries. Haha.
Also, Barcelona beat Coslada by a lot today, so we are the favorite going into this weekend, but of course, you can never take anyone lightly.
We got the ball to start the game and immediately starting pounding it down their throats on the ground. Once we got into the red zone, we ran a perfect bubble screen to my roommate AJ for a 20 yard touchdown. Our kicker is one of the sick players, so I took a halfback dive in for the 2-pt conversion to go up 8-0. We stopped them and got the ball back on our own 5 yard line. Two plays later AJ took another bubble screen 92 yards for a score and a new Sharks record for longest play in history. We missed the try, but were up 14-0 very early.
The second quarter was ugly, we had the ball close a few times and but were either stopped or turned it over. So we went into the half ahead 14-0. The Lions had a big play on the opening drive of the second half and got the ball down inside the 5. They punched it in a few plays later for a score. They also must have been missing their kicker because they went for two as well. The QB rolled out to my side and tried to thread one in behind me but I made a really cool one handed interception and started taking it the other way. Now I'm no Usain Bolt, so when I heard AJ yell my name, I turned and pitched it and he took it the rest of the 70 yards for 2 points. That was huge, because now we were up 10 points and it was a two possession game.
Our American QB Mark had a few good passes in the 3rd quarter to our #2 receiver, Jose Luis. And then our 250 pound bull of a fullback, Tokero, punched it in for another score from a yard out. We held strong defensively, had a few more interceptions, and then in the fourth quarter we were really starting to wear them down. I had a couple of big runs, but then the big moment came early in the fourth quarter. From 20 yards out, I bounced a dive left to the outside and ran for daylight. Saw the pylon and scored my first career TD in Spain as well as my first as a running back. It felt good to get the first one and really seal the game away. We were up 32-6 and there was no chance for Granada. They made a few more tries but we ended up taking a knee for the win a few series later.
We committed much fewer penalties this week, but still a little too many. This was a huge win for us cause it sent a message to the rest of the league that we can score points. There are only 5 teams in each of the 3 conferences. We play in the National Conference against Sueca (Valencia), Granada, Coslada (Madrid), and Barcelona. We play each of those teams twice and the winner of the conference goes to the playoffs. We have a big game at home against Coslada this Saturday coming up and they playing Barcelona right now actually. You can see the complete league standings at www.AEFAweb.com and there is also a write-up of the game on our website www.marbellasharks.es. This weekend is big because it's almost like our home opener, since last week was a monsoon and we had a very small turnout. We're expecting a decent crowd, we have a popular local DJ coming, and the cheerleaders are excited for their first game.
After that, we have a bye week before we play at Barcelona. Let's hope we can keep this winning streak alive.
UPDATE: Although our starting kicker was not at the game, apparently Granada didn't have goalposts, so that's why both teams went for two point conversion tries. Haha.
Also, Barcelona beat Coslada by a lot today, so we are the favorite going into this weekend, but of course, you can never take anyone lightly.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Sharks Win 6-0
We opened our season on Saturday against the Sueca Ricers of Valencia, Spain at our home stadium, El Estadio Santa Maria de las Chapas. We won 6-0 in perhaps the ugliest game of football I have ever been a part of, and yes, that includes B-Team Pop Warner. It's not that the players are unskilled, they are actually very fast and many are very big, however some of them do not understand all of the rules. The referees are also trying to learn, so they don't exactly let stuff go, and this led to about 25 penalties in the first half alone. If someone is lined up in the neutral zone, they call it; there is no letting the small stuff go here. You would have heard a lot of "Let 'em play" shouts back in Dracut, but you have to keep an open mind out here.
On top of the refs, the rain was the worst Marbella has seen in many years. There were puddles about 3-4 inches deep in many parts of the field. I found that out very early into the game when I was tackled and felt like I had been thrown into a pool. Along with the rain was a pretty awesome lightning storm. The game definitely would have been canceled immediately in the states, but that's not how they roll here in Spain. I mean, who gets struck by lightning when there are goalposts all around you? I'm a fan of their logic. There was actually this really cool moment when I was setup in the backfield, waiting for the snap and knowing I was getting the ball. All of the sudden, a huge lightning bolt struck straight ahead in the distance right before the snap. I ran for about 2 yards. Must have been distracted.
The game was a lot of fun though, and despite scoring only 6 points, there were many bright spots. At one point, I drew up half back pass toss pass with AJ, my American roommate from Worcester, as we walked back to the huddle. We ran it a few plays later and I completed a pass to him for a big gain and a first down.
We've spent the last few days designing some new plays and preparing for our game this Saturday in Granada. It's a big one for everyone because they are our archrival. They are also part of the Spanish territory Andalucia, and are the closest team in proximity to us. To add to the tension, the Sharks old coach recently took a position with Granada, and that's added some fuel to the fire for many of the players and coaches here. After hearing about this team and reading about their previous game, I feel very confident going into Saturday and really want to get a win.
My body is just finally starting to recover from last weekend's game and it is now Thursday. The problem here is that many players do no know how to tackle properly, so they just dive at your legs, leading with their helmets. I haven't really been able to walk since the game and my ribs have been hurting quite a bit. But this is football, so I'll stop complaining now.
I must admit, I've really fallen into the Spanish way of life..."I'll get to it later" is truly the way to go over here. I've been trying to write this since Monday, but it just keeps slipping away from me. I'd say as of today I am finally settled in. Its about 1pm and I'm sitting on the back porch and it's about 80 degrees out here, just about perfect. I'm about to head down to the beach with my roommate AJ - things are starting to look up.
We live in the basement the Shark's president. He is an American guy who moved out here with his family a few years back. He's turned the basement into the "Shark Shack" and we've got a great setup down there with separate rooms, a big screen TV, a bar, ping pong table, and tons of space.
Okay. I'll get back to this later. We are going to the beach.
On top of the refs, the rain was the worst Marbella has seen in many years. There were puddles about 3-4 inches deep in many parts of the field. I found that out very early into the game when I was tackled and felt like I had been thrown into a pool. Along with the rain was a pretty awesome lightning storm. The game definitely would have been canceled immediately in the states, but that's not how they roll here in Spain. I mean, who gets struck by lightning when there are goalposts all around you? I'm a fan of their logic. There was actually this really cool moment when I was setup in the backfield, waiting for the snap and knowing I was getting the ball. All of the sudden, a huge lightning bolt struck straight ahead in the distance right before the snap. I ran for about 2 yards. Must have been distracted.
The game was a lot of fun though, and despite scoring only 6 points, there were many bright spots. At one point, I drew up half back pass toss pass with AJ, my American roommate from Worcester, as we walked back to the huddle. We ran it a few plays later and I completed a pass to him for a big gain and a first down.
We've spent the last few days designing some new plays and preparing for our game this Saturday in Granada. It's a big one for everyone because they are our archrival. They are also part of the Spanish territory Andalucia, and are the closest team in proximity to us. To add to the tension, the Sharks old coach recently took a position with Granada, and that's added some fuel to the fire for many of the players and coaches here. After hearing about this team and reading about their previous game, I feel very confident going into Saturday and really want to get a win.
My body is just finally starting to recover from last weekend's game and it is now Thursday. The problem here is that many players do no know how to tackle properly, so they just dive at your legs, leading with their helmets. I haven't really been able to walk since the game and my ribs have been hurting quite a bit. But this is football, so I'll stop complaining now.
I must admit, I've really fallen into the Spanish way of life..."I'll get to it later" is truly the way to go over here. I've been trying to write this since Monday, but it just keeps slipping away from me. I'd say as of today I am finally settled in. Its about 1pm and I'm sitting on the back porch and it's about 80 degrees out here, just about perfect. I'm about to head down to the beach with my roommate AJ - things are starting to look up.
We live in the basement the Shark's president. He is an American guy who moved out here with his family a few years back. He's turned the basement into the "Shark Shack" and we've got a great setup down there with separate rooms, a big screen TV, a bar, ping pong table, and tons of space.
Okay. I'll get back to this later. We are going to the beach.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Going to play in Marbella
I've kept a journal once before, and that was okay, but I've always thought 'blogging' was really lame. I mean, who wants to read about someone else's life? But the truth is, everyone does. First it was MTV's the Real World, and then Survivor, and now there are hundreds of reality television shows on every channel where people just watch what other people are doing. Most of the time, the characters are placed into unique situations, but other times they just follow them living their lives - though I still believe the producers set up fake drama. Most recently, I've been hearing all about 'The Jersey Shore'. Now, I've never been a fan of reality TV, but this show just sounds so stupid - follow a group of 'roided out, cocky punks who live on the Jersey Shore for a summer and go "clubbing" everynight. If so many people are interested in that, then maybe a few would be interested in hearing what I will be doing in Marbella, Spain, while playing American Football for the next three months. It was enough for John Grisham to write a book about it (Playing for Pizza is a fictional story of an American going to play American football in Italy) and at the very least, it'll be an easy way to update my family and friends about how my experience is going.
So, last week I accepted an offer to play football from the Marbella Sharks American football organization. I've had an interest in going to play abroad since my junior year of college upon hearing that a few older teammates of mine at Harvard were planning to play in Italy. (They actually played for the same team that Grisham based his novel on, the Parma Panthers.) And once I read that book I was sold. The whole concept is an amazing opportunity for young Americans, and it's becoming much more popular every year and much more difficult to find a team. Each country has it's own league and its own rules but most of them only allow somewhere between 2-4 players with American passports on the team. The Americans are expected to be the leaders of the team as well as player-coaches, so they are usually paid to play, while the rest of the players from that country or other European countries are unpaid. Like usual, I've made another stupid decision and accepted the one offer that did not provide a salary, but all kidding aside, I'm confident that I made the right choice.
I could have had an all-inclusive experience in Marburg, Germany or Belgrade, Serbia, with round-trip flights paid, an apartment, food stipend, cell phone, and a small salary of about 500 Euro (~$750)/month, but instead took the deal in Marbella where I only get a room and a promise that they'll help me find a job. Why the heck would I do that? Well first of all, I've been studying Spanish since 7th grade and have always enjoyed speaking the language with other people especially in front of people who don't understand it. So it will not only be fun to speak Spanish there, but I'll also be fluent when I get back. Secondly, open a new browser window or tab, and use google maps (not mapquest, it can't compare to google) and Marbella, Spain. Living on the Mediteranean Coast is a dream. Now, about a week after I accept the offer, I get a message on Europlayers.com (it's basically the facebook of American football in Europe) from a team who I had messaged twice, a month before, with no response. This team, the Badalona Dracs (Badalona, Spain is just outside of Barcelona) is the original Spanish team who started the league 20 years ago and are offering me flights, salary, food, phone, and apartment to come play for them. I've found myself with a big decision on my hands; my first two reasons for Spain - the language and the coast - are available in Barcelona, along with a spot an established team and a good chunk of money.
I decided to stay with Marbella and although it wasn't an easy choice, I think it was the right one for a number of reasons. First, you've got the Johnny Damon affect. While my stature is nowhere near his and I don't have any actual fans and I hadn't even signed a contract with Marbella yet, I still would have felt like a sellout. I hadn't planned to do this for money, I simply knew that a little money would make it easier to survive over there. I had made an agreement with a team and to back out on my word for a few thousand dollars would have been tough on me. (And luckily I've managed to save a bit of money while teaching at my alma mater, Dracut High School, for the past couple months as a permanent substitute for a teacher on maternity leave. However, if anyone out there is interested in sponsoring me, don't hesitate to contact me.) Second, the Sharks are a young team with a bright future. I've already been appointed defensive co-captain, along with another Massachusetts native, AJ Scola, who played football at Amherst College and signed on with the Sharks about the same time as I did. After talking with him and our QB from NY, I'm confident we'll win some games. Third, the president of the team, who happens to be a fellow Ivy Leaguer, has been very honest with me throughout the process and very proactive in helping me find a job over there, as well as stressing the fact that it's a really close, family organization. And finally, in Marbella I will be playing tailback. Everyone who plays football wants the ball, so a chance to get it almost every other play was the tipping point for me. I couldn't be more excited to get over there.
My flight is late next Thursday night Jan. 21st out of Logan, and I don't arrive in Malaga, Spain until the afternoon on the 22nd. We open our season against the Sueca Ricers at home on Saturday, January 23. That gives me about 18 hours of preseason camp, compared to the usual 3 - 4 weeks that most players have. Fortunately, the rest of the team has been practicing together for a couple weeks, and I've been training hard here on my own and have been helping to develop the playbook with the other coaches via email. It's not ideal, but that's how football in Spain goes.
So check back whenever, and I'll be sure to keep this updated during my trip.
So, last week I accepted an offer to play football from the Marbella Sharks American football organization. I've had an interest in going to play abroad since my junior year of college upon hearing that a few older teammates of mine at Harvard were planning to play in Italy. (They actually played for the same team that Grisham based his novel on, the Parma Panthers.) And once I read that book I was sold. The whole concept is an amazing opportunity for young Americans, and it's becoming much more popular every year and much more difficult to find a team. Each country has it's own league and its own rules but most of them only allow somewhere between 2-4 players with American passports on the team. The Americans are expected to be the leaders of the team as well as player-coaches, so they are usually paid to play, while the rest of the players from that country or other European countries are unpaid. Like usual, I've made another stupid decision and accepted the one offer that did not provide a salary, but all kidding aside, I'm confident that I made the right choice.
I could have had an all-inclusive experience in Marburg, Germany or Belgrade, Serbia, with round-trip flights paid, an apartment, food stipend, cell phone, and a small salary of about 500 Euro (~$750)/month, but instead took the deal in Marbella where I only get a room and a promise that they'll help me find a job. Why the heck would I do that? Well first of all, I've been studying Spanish since 7th grade and have always enjoyed speaking the language with other people especially in front of people who don't understand it. So it will not only be fun to speak Spanish there, but I'll also be fluent when I get back. Secondly, open a new browser window or tab, and use google maps (not mapquest, it can't compare to google) and Marbella, Spain. Living on the Mediteranean Coast is a dream. Now, about a week after I accept the offer, I get a message on Europlayers.com (it's basically the facebook of American football in Europe) from a team who I had messaged twice, a month before, with no response. This team, the Badalona Dracs (Badalona, Spain is just outside of Barcelona) is the original Spanish team who started the league 20 years ago and are offering me flights, salary, food, phone, and apartment to come play for them. I've found myself with a big decision on my hands; my first two reasons for Spain - the language and the coast - are available in Barcelona, along with a spot an established team and a good chunk of money.
I decided to stay with Marbella and although it wasn't an easy choice, I think it was the right one for a number of reasons. First, you've got the Johnny Damon affect. While my stature is nowhere near his and I don't have any actual fans and I hadn't even signed a contract with Marbella yet, I still would have felt like a sellout. I hadn't planned to do this for money, I simply knew that a little money would make it easier to survive over there. I had made an agreement with a team and to back out on my word for a few thousand dollars would have been tough on me. (And luckily I've managed to save a bit of money while teaching at my alma mater, Dracut High School, for the past couple months as a permanent substitute for a teacher on maternity leave. However, if anyone out there is interested in sponsoring me, don't hesitate to contact me.) Second, the Sharks are a young team with a bright future. I've already been appointed defensive co-captain, along with another Massachusetts native, AJ Scola, who played football at Amherst College and signed on with the Sharks about the same time as I did. After talking with him and our QB from NY, I'm confident we'll win some games. Third, the president of the team, who happens to be a fellow Ivy Leaguer, has been very honest with me throughout the process and very proactive in helping me find a job over there, as well as stressing the fact that it's a really close, family organization. And finally, in Marbella I will be playing tailback. Everyone who plays football wants the ball, so a chance to get it almost every other play was the tipping point for me. I couldn't be more excited to get over there.
My flight is late next Thursday night Jan. 21st out of Logan, and I don't arrive in Malaga, Spain until the afternoon on the 22nd. We open our season against the Sueca Ricers at home on Saturday, January 23. That gives me about 18 hours of preseason camp, compared to the usual 3 - 4 weeks that most players have. Fortunately, the rest of the team has been practicing together for a couple weeks, and I've been training hard here on my own and have been helping to develop the playbook with the other coaches via email. It's not ideal, but that's how football in Spain goes.
So check back whenever, and I'll be sure to keep this updated during my trip.
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