Prep Football: The Ties That Bind
When the National Guard is called in, it's usually falls under serious circumstances.
When Eldorado head football coach Brandon Hampton called in the National Guard Wednesday, the situation wasn't dire, but the help was much needed.
For the third straight year, Hampton called in his reinforcements, also former teammate Jimmy McCarty, who is a 1995 graduate of Eldorado High School and has 17-plus years experience as he served eight years active duty and the last eight with the National Guard.
The sole purpose was to use some of the team building, team bonding exercises the National Guard uses to help his Eagles in the same fashion as they prepare to kick off the fall season August 10th.
"It's an idea we had a few years ago of doing some team building exercise," Hampton said. "It was some of the things I had done at some previous stops and I think it really helps."
The National Guard set up a makeshift obstacle course surrounding the perimeter of the Eldorado Sports Complex.
Players were divided up into three teams, where some of the tasks they had to complete were flipping tires 100 yards, then carrying their heaviest player on a gurney some 50-plus yards with the help of four others. After that, players then had to carry jugs of water 100 yards. In addition, the teams formed had to carry culverts around the football stadium, all in an effort to build team chemistry, team bonding and team building.
For Hampton he knows the main thing is to develop discipline and finding the will to execute when you are tired and feel like you can't go any further.
"It's a really taxing workout and we feel this is extremely important and probably the most important thing we do in the three phases of our summer conditioning," he said. "Right now, we're not in great shape. We don't spend a lot of time doing that in the summer. It's a little bit of an eye-opener for them and for the coaching staff as to where they have to get their bodies at as we get ready to start practice."
In the same vein, Hampton has noticed where a couple of unknown players emerge as leaders and guys that serve a motivating purpose.
"Kids have a lot of pride of trying to get through this workout and the neat thing is seeing those kids wear the t-shirt that they get for completing tonight course in the hallway at school and around town."
McCarty obviously has a vested interest in Eldorado and was instrumental in helping Hampton and the football program in purchasing a new scoreboard last year. His desire to help goes deeper than his pockets.
"This is my hometown and where I went to school at. It's something where I can get in front of the guys and tell them how important team building and team bonding is, because the experiences I have had," McCarty said.
Among many of the things that McCarty takes pride in because of his job is what he hears when he talks to other schools and other student-athletes.
"I talk to a lot of other schools and one of the constant things I hear is how well conditioned the Eldorado football team is and I hope that what we have done here (tonight) plays a part in that."
Michael Dann covers prep and college sports for the Harrisburg Daily Register. Follow him on Twitter: @spydieshooter.