Ball State University Athletics
Football Team Spring Practice #1 Report
March 30, 2011 | Football
Ball State first-year head football coach Pete Lembo completed his first Spring Practice as the Cardinals head coach Tuesday.
Coach Lembo sat down with the Ball State media relations staff to give his account of Practice #1.
How did your first Spring Practice session go with the Ball State football program?
"Practice had a pretty decent flow to it for the first day. There were a couple bumps in the road, but for the most part, it moved along smoothly. I was pleased with the offense's ability to execute the basic procedure on the field for the first time. We had very few issues such as offsides penalties, errant shotgun snaps or fumbles as you might expect on the first day in a new system. Defensively, we got aligned correctly most of the time and guys were flying around with good enthusiasm. Our specialists had a solid day and it was good to see us hit a pressure field goal at the very end of the session."
Did the players respond how you expected them to for the first day?
"Our players have demonstrated a great attitude throughout the offseason and that certainly continued on the field today. These guys want to become good players and they want to win. It is our job as a staff to develop them and put them in position to be successful. We have to balance being positive with humility and honesty. We all have to realize it is going to be a long race. We have to maintain our focus throughout the highs and lows that are likely to come in the days ahead."
What do you expect to accomplish in the next couple of practices?
"You hope to build a little stronger foundation every day both as a team and on an individual basis. We want the corrections we make in the meeting room to translate to more success on the practice field. As we continue our installation in all three phases, it becomes a greater challenge for the players. We teach concepts because if you simply try to memorize schemes, you will quickly become overwhelmed. Right now, we are finding out who can learn and translate it on the field. As the spring progresses, we will also find out who is capable of being very physical."
Ball State's second Spring Practice is scheduled for Wednesday. Log on to www.ballstatesports.com for practice updates, video interviews and special features with the Ball State coaches and student-athletes.
