We Talking About Practice

Tormenta Manager Ian Cameron

I was going to run this at the bottom of my post last week where Ian Cameron talked about his team two months into the season, but it didn't really fit with the vibe of that post and it was a bye week and I knew I'd need something for you loyal readers this week. God help me next week when there's another bye week. 

Cameron was born in 1988 (which, I still contend is not the year someone was born but actually a world class time for the Mens 200 meter race - 19.88 would have been 4th in the 2024 Paris Olympics), but what that means is Cameron isn't that much older than some of the players. And he's still in decent enough shape to get out on the field during training to fill a spot as needed. 

I'm not at practice enough to say if he does that regularly, but it's regular enough on the times I'm able to make it out to practice that it's not unusual. I asked him how much fun it was to be out there running around and he laughed. "I don't think the boys really enjoy it," he said in a self-deprecating manner. 

"We went with a smaller group (this year) so then staff need to fill in, but what I really like about this staff is they recognize where we are trying to take this organization, where we're trying to take this training session and are willing to fill in to help," he said. 

Cameron isn't the only staff member who has jumped in at practice to help with proving numbers or creating pressure or whatever needs to be done. 

"For the guys, everybody's all hands on deck to try and support the players the best way they can," he said. "We're willing to do it and we hope that rubs off on the players and there's an appreciation that we're trying our best to prepare you all to have your very best performance on the weekends."

"I'm not going to stand out on the sideline if something needs to get done," he said.

That culture extends to all aspects of Tormenta. On Wednesday of last week when I got to practice, I saw owner Darin Van Tassell scooping up bird poop from the practice fields as geese had apparently found their way there overnight. With a small organization, everyone has to do a little bit of everything.

Since Cameron gets out at practices with the team somewhat regularly, the obvious next question had to be asked. How long could you go if you were somehow placed into a game?

"My problem is I don't run at all," Cameron said. "If we're in control of the game, I could play 30 minutes comfortably. If we're not in control of the game, I've got about three minutes in me. I'd better help to control the game because the running part, no. The coordination, the touch and stuff like that is hopefully of a sort that it doesn't bring down a training session."

"Even though I'm skinny, I'm 'skinny fat.' I'm not skinny in a healthy way, I'm just naturally skinny," he said.

If I can editorialize here a bit...

Editor: Luke, this is a blog, you can do what you want.

Fair point. I've seen Cameron run with players during pregame. I believe is was Oscar Jimenez who was doing some full field runs where he would jog to midfield and then sprint to the end line a few times than jog to the 18 and sprint the length of the field after that. While Cameron didn't do all of them, and didn't always finish the sprints to the end line, don't let him fool you with his modesty. He's still got some giddy-up in those legs and was keeping up with Jimenez for long stretches. Cameron looked like he was working harder to keep up with him, but he was right there. 

Let's meet back here Friday for a preview of the Spokane game, shall we?