The Team

While there's no doubt I'll be enjoying my time abroad and experiencing new and exciting things, I am here with a job to do. That said, now I'll do my best to introduce the team (at least the offensive half). Overall, I'm very impressed with how seriously these guys take their football team. They all have jobs or are in school, but football means a lot to them. They're very Eager to learn, show what little they know, and please the coaches.

When I first took this job I was obviously interested in the quarterback position, as any offensive coordinator would be. Fortunately for me, the Briganti have a good one. Max is a 23 year-old athletic guy with good leadership skills and the best English on the team. He spent a few years in the states, so he is always my translator in the locker room during offensive meetings. He's well respected and has a decent throwing motion, Which we're continuing to work on. I also like my backup, Pasquale, a.k.a. Chinese (the guys on the team think he looks Chinese). He's pretty athletic but has a lot of work to do in the throwing department. When my youngest brother Dan comes over in a week, he'll be Able to help these guys a lot.

My offensive line is solid. The top six all understand a little bit of English, Which is a huge relief. I'm becoming good friends with my center, Ciro. Walter, a guard, is my most seasoned lineman and is a good leader. Mario (aka Drinker) and Lorenzo (one of our most committed players) are also guards. The two starting tackles are younger guys: Albo and Salvatore. They're both a lot of fun and are big, powerful guys. These guys LOVE to hit. I was not planning on it, but I installed the wedge in the opening practice and they loved it. My prediction is that the Briganti will be a power running football team this year ... Which if you know the type of offense I coached in the states, will be a big change for me. The picutre above is of the offensive line and their new coach (L-R: Lorenzo, Albo, Salvatore, Walter, me, Mario, Ciro, and Biagio).

I have two good running backs. Both are thin and fast. They'll double as our kick returners. I have a couple solid fullbacks as well. Probably the most talented player on my side of the ball is my tight end, Stefano (or Freak as he is called). Freak is big (probably about 6-4 and probably 225 lbs) and fast and might have the best hands on the team. He's a punishing blocker and a good pass receiver. He's also the punter. My receivers are solid athletes. Valerio is one of our faster players and he can catch. Throwing the ball will be a challenge over here, but I think we'll get it done.

The coaches treat the players very, very well. They are respectful and attentive. They do not like to see us carrying equipment in from practice, standing without a seat in the locker room, or even filling our own wine glass. I think the guys seem to like me so far. They're very excited about some of the new plays I've installed. They guys on the team are going to make this experience a very rewarding one!

First Post

Hello, and welcome to my blog about my adventures in south Italy. For those who do not know the circumstances, I am going to spend four months coaching a football team (American football, obviously) in Naples. I am here with Brennan Schmidt, a former UVA player, who is the head coach of the Naples Briganti. I'm serving as Brennan's offensive coordinator. Here is the link to the Briganti official website. If you want to contact me, my email is alexandersk82@gmail.com and my Skype account is stephen.k.alexander, or you can always get a hold of me on facebook.

The journey to Naples began on February 15. Brennan and I flew out of Dulles at 10 pm and arrived safely in Naples around 10 pm (Italian time) the next day. In between was a long layover in London where we were Able to talk some football. We were met at the Naples airport by 15-20 Briganti team members all dressed in their jerseys. It was a cool experience. They grabbed our bags and whisked us away to Matteo's Pub. Matthew is the president of the team and one if its founders. He also plays defensive line. There, more team members arrived to welcome back Brennan and meet me. I chatted at length with two of my most important players, my center and quarterback. Fortunately both are proficient in English. As the night winded down, we were given cell phones and keys to our car, a little four-door white thing called a Rover. Brennan assurés me it's far superior to last year's car (this is Brennan's second year with the team). We were led to our apartment by Jimmy and Stefano (aka Freak). Brennan and I were too tired to unpack so we just crashed. I think we slept past 1 pm the following day ... And we needed every minute of it.

The apartment is small but sufficient. It's in a great location in a town called Pozzuoli. It's right on the water and a short drive to our practice field. We have a functional kitchen, free internet and satellite TV (which we have not even turned on yet). Interestingly, Pozzuoli is mentioned in Acts 28. Paul visits the town before he heads to Rome. The English spelling of the town is different in the Bible. Brennan showed me a small monument near the town's harbor that commemorates Paul's visit. Here are a few pictures of my surroundings: http://www.flickr.com/photos/16156393@N05/?saved=1.

Now I will talk about how fortunate I am to have Brennan's here with me. Though last year was his first in Naples, his family has a history over here. His brother, JD, played quarterback over here a few years ago (back when the team allowed a specific number of Americans on the roster). Brennan has plenty of connections in the city, knows a bunch of Americans (most of Whom work for or with the Navy), and knows enough Italian to get us around. And God help me if I had to drive around this city alone. First of all, it's basically like a game of Mario Kart In Which road signs, traffic lights and general driving etiquette have no influence on any of the drivers. Secondly, it's a confusing place to navigate. Brennan is also a beast in the kitchen, is well-respected by the players, is a solid Christian guy, and is just generally a stud. God has blessed me with a great companion for this adventure.

So this is my fourth day here and I think the adjustment has gone well so far. I'm picking up a few English words or phrases each day. I've eaten a couple really good pizzas. I'm still staying up late and sleeping in, but the adjustment to the time difference will come soon. The first two practices and first workout went very well I think. We have a game in the first weekend of March, so we're going to be busy in these first few weeks.

Arrivederci for now. Soon I will post something about the true business at hand. That is, I'll give the details of the football team, its players, and its progress ... For those who are interested. Hello Hello! post something about the true business at hand. That is, I'll give the details of the football team, its players, and its progress ... for those who are interested. Ciao Ciao!