Katie Howlin ’12
Todd Fairlie, the newly appointed head football coach, has worked to instill a new tradition in the EA football team. He implemented a sleepover during pre-season’s grueling two-a-days in order to bring the team together and better prepare the athletes for the upcoming season. The tough training regimen included a football focused morning, noon, and night, with two practices a day, film sessions, meetings and chalk talks, as well as conditioning and lifting. Coach Fairlie remarks that the team “really gelled and got along. They were pushed out of their comfort zone, and had to concentrate on football.” Richie Palazzese, IV Form, thinks that this year’s preseason was “much more productive” and thinks that the team is better prepared for the season. While co-captain Joe Flannery, VI Form, believes that the sleepover was worth it, he thinks that it was brutal on the body, as the boys were not given a lot of time to rest, and they were sleeping together in the wrestling room, not their own beds. Incoming freshman Ryan Whayland notes that the sleepover was “loud, very loud, with lots of wrestling.” Despite the trials of the week, Flannery remarks that “it makes everyone close; we’re friends all the way through from senior down to freshman.” Practicing twice a day for three days, and having to stay on campus at all times has made this year’s team the closest football team that Flannery has been on. Aside from building relationships within the team, the intense preseason also helped bring the new kids up to speed, as even the new kids who knew nothing about football or the team were able to catch up, a feat that Flannery attributed to Fairlie’s organization and determination. Fairlie, in his new post, is optimistic about the new season and hoping that, if the team stays healthy, they’ll be able to compete and make progress. Flannery is making no promises for the season, as the team has a lot to prove; however, he acknowledges that “the team is very athletic, fast, and committed. It should be fun.
