Joliet- As the weather starts to make its turn to warmer temperatures, so does the Joliet Buccaneers Adult Amateur Football Team’s time, as they start to make their way back outdoors for the 2026 season. Buccaneers are preparing for their new league and a run at a championship. They will start to make their way from the comfort of their indoor practice facility to the unpredictable weather conditions of Illinois. “For over 22 years, we have always done some type of indoor training to help the guys condition their bodies and get ready for the rigorous football season ahead of us, said Head Coach Michael Ingram. I was a player once and indoor practices help a lot with conditioning after that long winter break says Ingram. Players and coaches have gathered to do indoor workouts 1 night a week starting back this past January on Sunday nights. They get a mixture of rookies and veterans that make the practices and use this time to get better as a team and learn the program.
Newcomer rookie Nicholas Purracchio hasn’t played football since his high school days and all he wants to do is be a part of something. “Yeah, I haven’t played ball in a long time, and me reaching out to Coach Mike and inquiring about the team in September, I was thrilled to hear back and be invited out to the team, said Nicholas Purracchio. Nick says that it’s a lot to grasp in playing the Wide Receiver position and learning where to line up and the routes in short amount of time, and it’s a lot harder than he thought, but the veterans are very helpful, they’re always pushing him and telling him that he can do it. Veteran #5 WR/DB and Former Joliet West grad Logan Zatler has praise for Nick and tells him that he can get better and just keep doing the little things to master his craft by being a receiver. “I tell Nick him that only way to get better is to get better,” says Zartler. Nick will make this team, and he’ll be a great teammate to those around him, he has hardworking determination about himself and that’s what we’re looking Zartler went on to say. I see myself as a teammate that’s there to get better and to learn, if I get the opportunity to play, I’ll be grateful for the chance says Purracchio.
Practices outside will begin on Saturday March 7th time to be determined by the team and players as each player all have different work schedule scenarios, but Tuesday and Thursday evening Practices begin March 10th 6pm to 8pm or dark. Tuesday and Thursdays haven’t and won’t change, said Assistant Head Coach/Line Coach Russell Saley. Since Mike and I were players back in our days, that time has always been consistent 6 to 8 or 7 to 9, always 2 hours on Tuesday and Thursday Nights says Saley.
The team is always looking for young men to be a part of the team, and if there are any young men from the local area that graduated for high school/college in the last few years or in process of graduating and still have the itch and fire to strap on the pads and have some fun again. They should contact www.jolietbuccaneers.com and fill out a player application form.
For more information about the Joliet Buccaneers Adult Amateur Football Team please visit us online at jolietbuccaneers.com visit us on Facebook and or Instagram Joliet Buccaneers or call 815.302.8700
