Call it 6:30 Madness, or Early Morning with Bill Lowe.
Emporia High’s football team held its first practice of the year at 6:30 this morning — the first day teams were allowed to practice — instead of the midnight time slot EHS reserved for that event during the past two years. The time change may have made a difference; to hear Lowe, EHS’ fourth-year coach, describe how his team looked on its first day out, it sounded like the Spartans staggered groggily out of bed instead of greeting the morning with the focused fire of a team ready to challenge for a state title.
The change from a late-night first practice to a crack-of-dawn one came because school already started last week.
“We couldn’t have the first practice at midnight, just because it wouldn’t be fair to the kids to have to get up to come to school, you know?” Lowe said. “But maybe we should’ve, with the way we started this morning. We were dragging — everybody was all pretty slow. But hopefully, our attitude will pick up a little bit this afternoon.”
Lowe and his staff took the team through such exercises as a hands drill using mini-footballs, stance and change-of-direction drills, and 7-on-7 plays. After one hour of work, the Spartans hustled back to the locker room to shower and change before class began at 7:55.
Junior offensive lineman Emmanuel Aceves said he prefers a midnight start to an early-morning one.
“Because everyone’s all excited and gets all hyped up about the season. But we still are anyways,” he said. “But I’d go with midnight — it’s more fun.”
The main focuses of the morning practice were working on conditioning while it was cool — temperatures were in the 60s — and instilling the right attitude to begin the year.
“We like to have our midnight practice, because it’s tradition, and it’s one for the kids, and (we get) excited,” Lowe said. “But you gotta make the best of what the situation (is). Hopefully we just come out with a little more enthusiasm this afternoon.”
spartan09 (anonymous) says...
I was disappointed that only the football team was mentioned in this article. The boys' high school soccer team also does a midnight practice, and instead of having practice at 6:30am like the football boys, they were out practicing at 5:00am. I believe this should have been mentioned, especially for the boys' sake. Furthermore, this entire week the soccer team will be out practicing at 5am.
August 18, 2008 at 8:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
emporiahelper (anonymous) says...
Cool to bad no one likes soccer. We love football so settle down. Only in Europe is soccer cool
August 18, 2008 at 9:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
UsayULoveGod (anonymous) says...
That was not nice , Soccer is the most watched sport across the World not football
August 18, 2008 at 9:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
anotherbillionaire (anonymous) says...
Yeah, and last I checked, this was America, not the world
August 18, 2008 at 10:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Pollyanna (anonymous) says...
Go EHS soccer! Shouldn't we as adults support all EHS student athletes? They are all out there bright and early running laps and doing drills to prepare. I'm sure soccer athletes already feel the disconnect in school with Football being the "most popular".. we as the community don't have to perpetuate it. Congrats to all EHS athletes working their tails off!!
August 19, 2008 at 9:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Amen to what Pollyanna has to say. All those kids work hard, no matter what the sport. We as a community should support all of them and not make such silly nonsense comments about one being more important than the other.
August 19, 2008 at 10:02 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
anotherbillionaire (anonymous) says...
Yes, and let's all hold hands and sing, "We are the world," and cry because we live in a world where one sport is favored over the other. Oh the injustice!
Seriously folks, who cares. Football is more popular than soccer, and it always will be. No disrespect to the athletes who love and play soccer. But until soccer draws a couple thousand fans to their games, it will continue to get overlooked in favor of football. Duh.
August 19, 2008 at 10:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
UsayULoveGod (anonymous) says...
I totally agree , I drove by there this morning , I was going to park and watch them but they had the gates closed !
August 19, 2008 at 10:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
spartans (anonymous) says...
Seriously? Why does somebody always have to complain about being something unfair? The article is what it is ok? Just get over it.. If you want more coverage on the soccer team write a story and send it in to the paper. Im sorry the football team is more popular than the soccer team in this town. Your not going to change anything by complaining..
August 19, 2008 at 6:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
spartans (anonymous) says...
Brian Dorsey the All Star soccer player for the Emporia High Soccer team quit yesterday and has joined the Emporia High Football team as there kicker. Great choice in my opinion on Brians part. The soccer team sucks and Brian is a winner so he might as well join a winning team.
August 26, 2008 at 2:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )