Outlaws make a splash in practice

Published 2:45 pm Friday, August 18, 2023

ENTERPRISE — Preseason football training that usually starts while the heat of summer is still blazing down goes a little easier these days, at least for the Enterprise Outlaws under coach Josh Harman.

“We’re trying to rebuild,” he said. “If you try the traditional (tough means), I just don’t think you’ll get the kids out.”

That “tough means” used to be working the team hard under a blazing sun and then replenishing body salt lost through sweat with salt pills. No cooling off in the water.

But Harman and his staff last year brought in a couple of sheets of plastic they wetted down for an impromptu slip ‘n’ slide on hot days for the kids to cool off with.

“We do stuff like this to try to make it fun,” the coach said. “It’s about football a lot, but at the same time we’re going to have fun, too.”

Being “about football” was evident as those slipping and sliding were expected to try to catch a football thrown from those waiting their turns.

Harman said he has 34 students who have turned out this year. This year’s team has seven seniors.

Last year the team had 25 students. He said his first year only saw 12 kids turn out.