Here today, still here tomorrow, but maybe not, if you don't watch it . . .

Sometimes the kids who are trying out for varsity have to puke, and they run-run-run to the side of the gym where the big trashcans are. And a few have figured out that if they look like they’re puking, they might not have to keep running, which means they might not actually puke. My proscribed role is to go over and catch the shirkers, and then they have to run until they actually puke. Skinner would have things to say about this I suppose.

In other parts of practice, I show how to box out, yell things like “good hustle” and “spacing – SPACING – SPACING!!!” and so on. The “take a charge” drill is hard to watch, and hard not to watch at the same time. It’s not as bad as driving past a wreck on the side of the road, but the preponderant inability to accept a blow leads to various sidesteps and so on that tend to make the collision worse. I have been asked to help “rub out” a cramp and declined, insisting it was better for the person suffering the cramp to do his own rubbing.

“Doing boards” is the only new wrinkle this particular head coach likes to throw in. he had two by fours wrapped in towels, and the players have to bend over and run with the board on the ground, head down, arms out, legs churning. From viewing five to ten sessions of “doing boards,” I can say that it looks like not that much fun.

Witnessing massive cardiovascular workouts coincides with the onset of blood loogies, a particular nasty species that besets smokers during certain sicknesses or if they are just not that healthy. Always keeping things interesting, yes we are yes we are.