Rain Doesn't Dampen Enthusiasm for Pirates

Downpours this week have left much of our yards, streets and even parks soaked. Tuesday was one of our "wet" days in Gulfport. And although some of us would call the recent rain awful, for Boca Ciega football coach Antez Brinson, it was a beautiful day.

First, it was the second day of preseason practice for his Pirates. Second, barring lightning, there's not a football coach worth his salt that doesn't like to practice in the rain.

When a football team practices in the rain, it allows the team to use "wet ball" drills. With the way it rains in Florida in the early evening, often high school football games are played in monsoon-like weather.

"Smooth," is how Brinson described Tuesday's practice. "Even in these conditions, we were able to move a whole lot faster. It was one of the better practices we have ever had. The guys were able to fly around. They understood their assignments. It was fun."

Brinson, in his first year as the Pirates head coach, seemed a bit taken aback at how his team has deftly adapted to his style and schemes.

"My first impressions is that our guys really did a good job in the spring and the summer and they now we are just picking up our expectations and understand what we want out of them," Brinson said. "Our first two days were really smooth. Monday was really smooth in a sense that they knew where they were supposed to be and we were able to move a whole lot faster.

"I told them that when you know what you are doing, football is fun. It's not fun if you are running around in the wrong directions."

But Brinson was quick to put his excitement in check.

"This is underwear we are playing in," Brinson said of the shorts and T-shirts only the players were wearing. They couldn't suit up in pads until Thursday.

"We have to wait until we put the plastic on to see what we have got,"  Brinson said.

With the first week of practice, Brinson said he is concentrating more on football in a mental aspect than anything else. Once a mental foundation is built -- players knowing the plays and formations -- then Brinson will physically build from there.

"Once we start hitting, we will learn who the pit bulls are and who are the pet Chihuahuas," Brinson said.