Chizik Ends Practice After 15 Minutes

**CrossCyed** · 08-16-2007, 11:27 PM

To the Pool! - CYCLONES.com—The Official Web Site of Iowa State University Athletics

Um, yeah.

I love this guy.

**dinger** · 08-17-2007, 12:31 AM

as long as they can regain focus for tomorrows practice...but yes this is a great move

**Drive4cy** · 08-17-2007, 12:36 AM

I don't know if I like the move or not. Very cool on his part but I don't see Bear Bryant or Nick Saban doing that with their team. Maybe this guy is the best of both worlds. Sounds like the retreat was deserved, so why not.

**Flag Guy** · 08-17-2007, 12:45 AM

Definitly interesting idea... some team bonding time and reward for what I assume has been hard work... like dinger said though, great so long as they can be back in the right mind set tomorrow

**theshadow** · 08-17-2007, 12:55 AM

Originally Posted by Drive4cy

I don't know if I like the move or not. Very cool on his part but I don't see Bear Bryant or Nick Saban doing that with their team. Maybe this guy is the best of both worlds. Sounds like the retreat was deserved, so why not.

Mark Richt just did it at UGA in the last few days. He was asked about it on Thursday's edition of College Football Live on ESPN. They mentioned how the team thought it was going to an indoor practice facility. Instead, they walked into the pool area and Richt was on the 10-meter platform...and commenced to execute a backflip into the water in front of the entire squad.

Bear Bryant didn't allow water breaks at aTm (if you believe "Junction Boys"). Nick Saban makes too much money to get wet.

**AirWalke** · 08-17-2007, 01:18 AM

Why didn't they include highlights?

"A monster cannonball by Tuba Rubin lowers the water level by an inch."

**Cyclonepride** · 08-17-2007, 05:51 AM

I really don't see any problems regaining their focus. If anything, the guys will work harder after that.

**Arkansas** · 08-17-2007, 05:59 AM

Originally Posted by Cyclonepride

I really don't see any problems regaining their focus. If anything, the guys will work harder after that.

Agreed. I really don't see a problem here either. I have no doubt that Chizik will keep the troops focused. Between this and JP and Mac greeting incoming students, I think we're in some really good hands.

**garn91** · 08-17-2007, 08:18 AM

Alot of schools do something like this, doing fun things like this is a good morale and team unity booster, espcially after all the heat we've had. Colorado recently had a team paintball outing and Callahan gave the Huskers an unexpected day off from practice this week.

**isufbcurt** · 08-17-2007, 08:20 AM

Well the funny thing is coach Mac did this every year with the team so its not a new idea.

**RedStorm** · 08-17-2007, 08:22 AM

AMES, Iowa – The day after a spirited scrimmage, the Iowa State football team took a dive – into the pool. ISU head coach Gene Chizik surprised his football team Thursday by cutting short practice after just 15 minutes of drills. The Cyclone head coach told his team to head for the busses waiting for them outside the Jacobson Athletic Building. He didn’t tell them the busses were taking them to the Nevada pool.

“I told them this was going to be a day of sudden change,” Chizik said. “They have been a little tired and beat up from practices and scrimmages and we thought this would be a good change for our players.”

The Cyclones will get back to practice Friday and then scrimmage on Saturday.

**hursts** · 08-17-2007, 08:25 AM

The players have been working their tails off if unbelievable heat for the past two weeks. A break is probably well deserved. This leads me to believe that Chizik "gets it" as a coach on how to relate to his players. I really believe that the players respect Chizik a great deal already and things like this always help.

**mj4cy** · 08-17-2007, 08:28 AM

They go to the pool every year. My wife used to be the manager there and she did not look forward to that night. She said it was amazing how many of the players couldn't swim and that they had to have full amount of lifeguards watching. She did say the team seemed to bond pretty well there with eachother and the coaches.

The only new thing was at least Chiz took them to a GOOD pool being the Nevada one.

**Bader** · 08-17-2007, 08:33 AM

Jack Del Rio, the Jag's head coach brought the team in for a "film" practice and turned on 300, that had to be hilarious

**throwittoblythe** · 08-17-2007, 08:36 AM

I remember when Bill Parcels took over the Cowboys and used to do things like this. He would come to practice knowing he was going to give them the day off. After a few offensive sets, he would explode "You guys are terrible! An embarassment to the game! I don't even want to see your faces! Go home and get ready for tomorrow!"

I think that's a pretty neat trick. You get the team thinking they need to work harder, but you still give them a day off.