On Saturday August 26th the Cincinnati Dockers team will be visiting the Nashville Kangaroos in order to prepare for the upcoming USAFL Nationals in Sarasota, FL on October 13-15. Both clubs are rebuilding their numbers following the covid lockdowns and as with any club, teaching the new players the tactics of how the game is played is critical to building team capabilities.
The Kangaroos will be setting up the field at 11 am, and then at 11:30 they will have a 'classroom' session where they will be reviewing the USAFL laws of the game (which are modifications of the AFL Laws) and a review of the specifics of how the Nationals competition works on the weekend.
Following that session at 12:00 the players will then proceed through a number of drills, with progressing complexity and all of which are designed to give players the chance to be involved in game-like scenarios, designed to both increase game knowledge while improving game skills. There will be commentary during this session to help the casual observer understand what each drill is attempting to do for the players and hopefully will give the fans a more comprehensive understanding of how the game is played through understanding game strategies.
Then at 1:00 the players will divide into two teams and run a Metro Game. The Metro is a format smaller than the standard footy game (played with 14-18 a side). This match will have fewer than the 14 a side standard. And in order to help players learn and understand from certain situations, the game can be paused for the umpire to explain what happened, why the call was made, and what is expected of players after the whistle blows. It is this type of "just-in-time" learning on the job that will (hopefully) be beneficial to the players for their games in Sarasota.
The time at Elmington will conclude with closing remarks at about 2:00. After which everyone, players, coaches, and fans and supporters, are invited to come to Homegrown Taproom and Kitchen at 6:00 pm for an information post-game gathering. Homegrown is located at 2720 Old Lebanon Road, Nashville, TN 37214. We hope to see you tomorrow.
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