PIRATES TRAINING CAMP BEGINS

DUNEDIN, FL   The Dunedin Pirates finished up their first week of training camp. This was the first on-field time with new Pirates Head Coach Ernest Givins. Training camp will last until December 16, 2017, when the team is scheduled to host a preseason game against an all-star team from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Sessions are tree times a week (TUE, WED, THU).

The first session included a lot of running and physical conditioning. Coach Givins was clear that his players must be in peak physical shape. “You need to be prepared to play five quarters of intense football”, Givins said.

“You must be in peak physical condition so you can think clearly. When you are in shape, you don’t have to think, just perform”, said Pirates Defensive Coordinator/Assistant Coach Thad Starling. After about an hour of physical conditioning, the team broke off into different groups and worked on various drills and plays.

Prior to the start of training camp, the Pirates Coaching Staff held three “Coach’s Skull Sessions”, which involved coaches laying out their philosophy, terminology, and plays to the players in a classroom setting.

Several players travel great distances to play for Coach Givins. RB Jeremy Wheeler travels from just outside Jacksonville, Florida and RB Darminquell Brown travels from east of Orlando, Florida. Both said the Pirates are a very organized team compared to other semi-pro football teams. “If I’m going to take to time to play football, I’m going to be part of a team that is organized and run well”, Brown said.

Sessions 2 and 3 included more physical conditioning and running of various plays from Coach Givins’ versatile offensive playbook. Coach Givins has extensive offensive knowledge and experience considering he is a retired NFL Pro Bowl wide receiver, who played most of his career with the Houston Oilers and their famous run-n-shoot offense. Givins is still the all time leading wide receiver for the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans.

Currently, the Quarterback competition is between QB Nate Munson, QB RaiQwan Heyes, and QB Worthy Jackson. Coach Givins is continuously evaluating the players to see who will be his starting Quarterback.

The Pirates will be in preseason mode beginning TUE January 2, 2018 and the league’s opening weekend will be January 27, 2018.

There are still a few roster spots still available, if you are interested in joining the Pirates, visit www.dunedinpirates.com or email the team at dunedinpirates@gmail.com

#Hoist the Sails