Barnstormers In Home Stretch Of Training Camp
The Iowa Barnstormers are in their final days of training camp and will be departing Oskaloosa soon
Oskaloosa, Iowa – The wind outside the PAC in Oskaloosa may have been gusting up to 50 mph, but the Iowa Barnstormers have been learning and gelling as a team at a breakneck speed themselves.
With a few personnel changes, such as a new kicker, and the departure of former Iowa Hawkeye DJK from the team, reportedly on his way to the Canadian Football League, Coach Hohensee will be quickly formulating what that team will be like for the 2012 season.
Hohensee said the progress is going good, “we’re still putting things in as far as offense and defense and actually special teams too. So we’re working a lot of new things; we’re throwing a lot of things at them.”
Hohensee said that there will be mistakes, “but that’s fine, that’s how you learn. So now we have a chance to go back and look at the film, and hopefully correct those and make a new mistake tomorrow.”
Final cuts to the team will be on Saturday, “we’ve got a lot of work to do, we’re still in the evaluation process as well. Part of the evaluation process is assignments and you either have the ability to learn, or your not working hard enough, or you don’t have the ability to learn. The last two aren’t acceptable.”
I then posed the question to Coach Hohensee about his, and the teams, time in Oskaloosa. “Been fantastic. You know, so many of us are away from our families. They’ve made us feel so at home that it’s made it a little easier being away. I hope we can work this out and do this again next year and forever.”
Two community events remain on the schedule, with the first being held at the Oskaloosa High School Gymnasium. From 5:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., guests can dine with the Barnstormers on a feast served by the Oskaloosa FFA. Following dinner, guests will be entertained as rookie players each have a turn in the spotlight with an impromptu performance as part of the new-player orientation. Tickets to the event are $10.00 for dinner and the show, or $3.00 per person for tickets to the show only.
To wrap up their stay in Oskaloosa, the Barnstormers will host a Family Night on Friday, March 2, at the Oskaloosa Christian School gymnasium, with dinner and games for the whole family. This event and fundraiser will begin at 6:00 p.m. and go until 8:00 p.m. Meal tickets are $5.00 per person with free will donations accepted.
The Barnstormers will be playing in their first game of the season on March 12, versus the Spokane Shock, and will make their home debut on March 17 versus the Utah Blaze.
