Believe it or not, football is right around the corner

The calendar may read July 7 but football is just around the corner.

The 2013 WFCA South All-Star team will arrive in Whitewater next week in preparation for the July 20th Division 1-3 and 4-7 games to be played at UW-Oshkosh’s Titan Stadium. For many of the participants it will be the prelude to college careers that will begin with preseason practice with their college teams in mid-August.

I’ll have a list of the all-stars that will be future UW-Whitewater Warhawks later this week.

The start of Warhawk preseason practice is rapidly approaching. I received an email from a returning Warhawk veteran late last week saying “Season starts in roughly 45 days, hope you are as ready to get this going again as we are!”

The Hawks will return to campus the final two weeks of August for its 2013 training camp. The season will open on September 7th vs Washington University (St. Louis) at Perkins Stadium.

Will UW-Whitewater be able to snap back from last year’s 7 & 3 season to challenge for the WIAC championship and qualify for the NCAA Division III Playoffs?

One of the key elements during Whitewater’s amazing seven consecutive conference titles and trips to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, including four Division III national titles, was mental preparation by the players.

Following its 2005 unbeaten season, dispatching rival UW-La Crosse along the way, Whitewater’s amazing win streak was fueled by mental toughness and the correct frame of mind each and every game. Winning in the WIAC requires those traits and that is a fact, jack.

What do I look for in the off-season? How hard do the Warhawk players work to get better during the summer months? Do they take seriously their off-season conditioning program that was assigned back in May? Do players work out on their own during the summer (ie: quarterbacks and receivers) in advance of a new season? How will the team adjust to a coaching staff that includes a new offensive coordinator, offensive line coach, quarterbacks coach, and wide receivers coach?

One thing I do know. Whitewater returns many key veterans. On paper the defense looks very strong. The 2013 recruiting class appears strong again. Several players lost for the 2013 season (or part of the season) are healthy and will be back this season, the new members of the coaching staff are excellent and are a valuable addition to the UW-Whitewater football program.

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Warhawk football, circa 2013, will hit the practice field in seven weeks. CAN’T WAIT!!