2008 NFL HSPD National 7on7 Tournament Memoir

Welcome to my 2008 NFL HSPD National 7on7 Tournament Memoir blog. The purpose of this blog is to capture the essence of the NFL HSPD National 7on7 Tournament through video clips, photos and posts from 7on7 participants.

This years tournament will be held in New Orleans, La. hosted by the New Orleans, Saints July 10-13th. There will be 16 teams (8 NFC and 8 AFC) competing to be the NFL's 7-on-7 National Champion. Teams being represented include, from the NFC; the Giants, Redskins, Panthers, Falcons, Saints, 49ers, Seahawks, and the Vikings. The AFC teams being represented are the Patriots, Jets, Ravens, Colts, Browns, Dolphins, Texans, and Broncos.

The teams will compete over 2 days starting with round robin play followed by a single elimination tournament. Building off of the NFL's HSPD program, each day will have a character development component with round table discussions, guest speakers and break out groups.

Friday, July 11, 2008

The Competition Begins...

The day finally arrived that all the players and coaches have been waiting for... "The Tournament". This was the first time for many players and coaches to compete against top talent from all across the country. All were eager to see how well they matched up against their competition.

Participants began their day with a 5:30 am wake up call...yes 5:30am! The competing teams had to be at breakfast at 6am and on the bus ready to leave for the Saints practice facility by 7:00 am. Upon arrival, they were greeted by the Saints staff and a host of parents providing their support. The early morning was steamy...actually it felt like a sauna bath, but that did not discourage the enthusiasm and excitement of the players and coaches.

As the day progressed, teams got into the groove which produced excellent performances by the players. Even though day one was a warm up round, every player gave 100% to insure their team's success.

Day one concluded with many tired and exhausted players who gave it their all in preparation for the single elimination round scheduled for day two.

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