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Aug. 7, 2007
Photo Gallery of 2nd Practice
Practice Video – Day 2
The Cavaliers held their second practice of training camp Tuesday morning. The team hit the McCue Center practice fields at 11:15 a.m.
With temperatures in the Charlottesville area reaching as high as 90 degrees, the players’ well being is of primary concern. “We try to make sure (player hydration) gets addressed many times in many different places,” head coach Al Groh said after practice. “We address it in the team meeting, we ask each position coach to bring it to the attention of the players in his individual meeting and we address it after practice.
“The times to hydrate are in the evenings and in the morning before practice. We’ve tried to stress that and we seemed to do well with it today.”
While training camp is in the early stages, there still are things to accomplish with ultimate goal being to improve each day. “At this time, and for a few days, what we’re really trying to do is correct the mistakes from the preceding practice,” said Groh. “(We go) to the next meeting with the players and go over that stuff with them, install the stuff for the upcoming practice and get our focus on those things. It’s what we say to the players: it’s kind of like building a wall of bricks. You keep laying one brick on top of the other and pretty soon you have a good, stout wall.
“That’s the way it is with early training camp. You just go from step to step and you try to make each one a positive step. Then at a certain point it’s viable to assess your progress.”
With 28 players in training camp for the first time, one of the initial things the coaches learn the most about the players in the first several days of camp is how quickly they catch on to things. The coaches have an idea of their football skills gained during the recruiting process, but there’s more to player development than that. “(The newcomers) are having to deal with a new environment and new schemes,” said Groh, “so it would be normal for a player to take a little while to catch on. What causes a player to stand out is that guy who seems to pick it up extra-special quick.”
Notes:
Groh indicated that true freshman Ras-I Dowling has been working at cornerback, while classmate Corey Mosley is practicing at safety at the present time.
The team practiced in helmets and shorts on Monday and Tuesday, and will add shoulder pads on Wednesday. Friday is the first day in full gear.
Question of the Day
Many of the players have final exams later in the week. Several were asked, “What is your toughest final this week?”
Chris Hinkebein: I have an EDIS (Ed School) exam on Wednesday and an introduction to music one on Thursday.
Pete Bladel: Spanish
John Phillips: German
Aaron Clark: Spanish
Cary Koch: Economics 301
Zak Stair: Spanish 102
Nate Collins: Spanish
J’Courtney Williams: Environmental Science
Sean Gottschalk: American History – Civil War to the present