If you want a great book to get you into the high school football spirit, John Grisham's Bleachers is both a great story and also a tool that forces you to relive your past. There were too many similarities with this book and our 1992 team/Coach. After reading this book, it has changed my view of him. I'm not an avid reader and finished it in 3 days. You just can't put it down. Please read it if you haven't. I have two copies and will loan one out if your interested.

It is a really fun book. I like most of Grisham's stuff and I liked this one, too. Not high school related, but if you are a football fan, his book Playing for Pizza is also good.

Bleachers is a great book, and like you, it brought back a lot of memories for me. Reminded me of my old high school coach, Dick Roddy, in a lot of ways. I may have to go find it and read it again.

Ok, now I'm intrigued. I will have to check it out. As I know your coach.

Like the book, it brought back a lot of painful memories. August 10th still lives in infamy. The insults, the horrible treatment, jingle-jangles, county fairs, and breaking down the field. It made every other thing in my life physically pale in comparison. We were 35 very in shape young men. There is almost a comparable character for every person in this book. Its creepy how much it reminds me of our '92 team.

Very, very little from Grisham that I haven't loved. This one is a favorite.

Like the book, it brought back a lot of painful memories. August 10th still lives in infamy. The insults, the horrible treatment, jingle-jangles, county fairs, and breaking down the field. It made every other thing in my life physically pale in comparison. We were 35 very in shape young men. There is almost a comparable character for every person in this book. Its creepy how much it reminds me of our '92 team.

What are jingle jangles, county fairs and breaking down the field?

I read this book 4 or 5 years ago and loved it.

What are jingle jangles, county fairs and breaking down the field?

 

Jingle Jangle is a conditioning drill. It's a shuttle type run. Start at the goal line, sprint to the 5, touch the line, sprint back, touch the line, sprint to the 10 touch the line, sprint back, touch the goal line, then sprint 5 again, touch the line, then sprint back to the goal line.

 

Country fair is any type of multi-station conditioning drill. I set up 4 cones in a square, one on each corner of the goal line, and one on each corner of the 40 yard line. Players do different calisthenic drills at each cone, then sprint to the next cone in a continuous circuit. There are a bunch of variations on this, but all involve a circuit of different drills/conditioning exercises in a continuous circuit.

 

I've never heard of breaking down the field.

Excellent read.

Anyone that played a sport in High School can relate.

 

Took me back to my playing days.

Great read. Along with every other book the man has written.

Breaking down the field consisted of starting at the back of the end zone, running to the goal line, doing five or ten sit-ups, then back to original line and then push-ups, then to five, ten, 15, and so on doing push-ups/sit-ups on every line. Once you got to the other goal line, you had to work your way back. If you didn't listen, screwed up, or ever spoke out of turn, you got this. I happened to laugh at a joke our head coach would probably be arrested for saying in the modern world. The issue was he was making fun of me in a horribly despicable, derogatory manor. After getting my brains beat in all summer, I had finally had enough and forgot who I was dealing with and let out a sarcastic chuckle. So, I spent the rest of our practice breaking down the field.