Football practices are underway

By G’Linda Bethea
Staff Writer

UNCP’s football team has been getting geared up for the past couple of weeks with new head coach Pete Shinnick. His emphatic attitude showed all over his face.            

Heat has been a major dilemma this summer. How is the team beating the heat?    

Photo By Glory Attaochu Owen Thomas, left, Dwight Humphrey, Julian William, Justin Ruffin, Joshua Throckmorton, Justin Nunery, Darrin Watkins, and the rest of the football team prepare for their first game Sept. 8, 2007.

With the aid of trainer Tim White, Shinnick and the football team have been “beating the heat” by staying watered up and coming out for practice at 6 a.m. two to three times a week.            

The players are doing conditioning, drilling and basic skills.

Other than all the running and skills, Shinnick is going along with his coaching philosophy by teaching the team how to support, care and know one another.           

“I want to create great team unity,” Shinnick said.

The players are showing great progress although a few may have come to the field in poor shape, Coach Shinnick said.

He is working with those players and training them to get into shape before the season begins next year.

A lot of people around UNCP’s campus are asking, “Why is there a football team practicing when we are not playing until the next season?”            

Coach Shinnick perceives this as the team’s advantage.

“Time is our greatest advantage,” said Coach Shinnick. He says that this will give his team the opportunity to red shirt and grow.            
The first game of the season kicks off next year and the anticipation of that moment is shared by both the team and the fans.

The prediction of the first game is not a win or loss to Shinnick.            

“I don’t know, ask me that about 10 months from now,” Shinnick said.

It is all left up to the 2007 UNCP football team to get that win.