Coastal Athletic Association (CAA Sports)

Charles Graves ? Delaware

Senior ? Defensive Back

The entire spring has been a grea­­­­­­t starting point for our team to bounce back from the season we had last fall. There are many things that have been accomplished during this time. Our young players had a chance to show what they were able to do with an opportunity on the field. Also, we brought something new to an already rich tradition. Before our spring game (April 24), we had a chance to meet many of the alumni from past Blue Hen teams. And finally, as a team we looked impressive in our spring game. At the same time, we have a long way to go to become the great team we want to be and are able to be.

The young players have shown a lot of improvements. They will be a key part of our team next year and have shown they are ready for the challenge at hand. We are a fairly young team and are bringing in even more young players. But the young players that are already on the team have made great strides since the off-season. From the increase in the weights they are lifting in the weight room to the performance on the field, they are staying with the older players as the team moves forward from the awful performance last season. Usually young players are the ones that are distracted and not understanding of the importance of what we are trying to do, but as I talk to the many of them they seem to be just as excited about the direction the team is heading.

I am glad that I was a part of something that will stay with Delaware for years to come. The players of the current team had a chance to meet former players and coaches from teams of the past. This has never been done before and was an exciting to play in front of former Hens and show that our generation can still play good football. I do not believe that there was any pressure to play well but being the competitors we are, we did not want the alumni to be disappointed in the effort we are putting forward to change the past seasons.

The spring game was a great preview of what fans can expect next season. A lot of players are having to fill in where we had an injury or graduation, and they are performing as we expected they would: Great. This is a good sign for our team, but by no means are we saying we are ready and have arrived. We still have summer workouts, pre-season camp, and then the season. Then we can say all those things. Games are not won during the spring, it’s just a time for preparation.

It has been a solid off season and I am looking forward to the summer and camp. My team is ready as well.  Since spring ball is over, we now can focus on our studies so that we don’t waste all the hard work we’ve put in.

Matt Hansen ? Rhode Island

Junior ? Linebacker

This past Saturday, we had our final scrimmage before the spring game this weekend.  All of the hard work we have put forth this spring is really starting to show, as both the offense and defense looked sharp. 

Though we still have a lot of work ahead of us, we know we look significantly better than we did in practice 1.  Coach Trainer always reminds us that we need to strive to get better each day because we know every team in our conference is preparing just as hard as us.  Therefore, in order to bridge the gap, we must take advantage of every opportunity to improve. 

Spring ball wraps up this upcoming Saturday afternoon with our annual “Blue vs. White” scrimmage at Meade Stadium.  There will be extra incentive to win the game this year, as Coach Trainer had designated the losing team to help the freshman class move into their dorms next fall semester. 

This really has hyped up the game and I expect everyone to be flying around, having fun, and making big plays this Saturday.  It’s going to be exciting to see how both sides of the ball execute with the majority of the playbook installed. 

It will also be nice to be playing in a game-like atmosphere with fans in the stands and pride on the line.  Everyone wants bragging rights heading into summer workouts, and that will help us to continue to push each other with August camp right around the corner.

Last, but definitely not least, our team will be hosting a Bone Marrow drive this Saturday prior to the game.  A lot of the other teams in our conference also take part in this cause, and I believe it is such a great thing we are doing this year. 

Each player on our team was required to get at least 10 people to volunteer as potential donors, and we are expecting a great turnout.  This is one of the most important things we have done all spring because it may give one of our players a chance to potentially save someone’s life.  Saturday will be a great day of football and it will be a nice way to end the spring on a positive note.

Go Rams!

Matt Hansen #20