June 29, 2006
This week marks the final stretch in Phase II of the Hoya Summer Fitness Program. So far this summer, the coaching staff has kept in frequent contact with the team, making the goals of the fitness regimen very clear. The team now stands together with a set of common goals for the fall, and after my weekly calls it is apparent that our mid-summer report is very positive.
Junior goalkeeper Joe Devine is spending his summer at home in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Often regarded as one of the most physically fit members of the team (surprising since he is a goalkeeper!), Joe is doing manual labor during the day, and training with his club team Westchester FC Copa '82 several nights a week. He will undoubtedly arrive in D.C. extremely fit in about one month's time. Sophomore Sean Bellomy is spending his summer in Dallas, Texas. Another of the team's hardest-working players, Sean has been pumping iron almost nightly and hitting the track extremely hard. His amateur team will compete in the national championships in early August.
Looking ahead to pre-season in August, I am excited about our out-of-conference schedule. With two strong match-ups against Maryland and UVA in preseason, we will surely be put to the test early. Perhaps most exciting, however, will be our trip to the Creighton tournament, home to one of the country's most renowned college soccer venues. Having done my research, it seems our evening matches against Southwest Missouri and Creighton will provide an environment comparable to Maryland's. In an email addressed to the team entitled `Food for Thought,' I attached several impressive pictures of a massive Creighton fan base piled behind an opponent's goal.
Each and every member of our program is spending his summer training preparing to step out on in front of those crowds at Creighton.
Until next week,
Hoya Saxa
Ricky Schramm (C'07)
