Dear Flyer,

Fit! Fit! Fit! That seemed to be the theme of our pre-season so far!

Our practice schedule this week has included intense fitness runs each morning. I am very pleased with the overall fitness level. Twenty two players passed the first test- the two mile. Four players were injured and three failed to get the passing score. The top time came in at 10 minutes and 54 seconds. Twelve minutes or less is the bench mark for passing.

Our squad is up to 29 this year as we prepare for a major senior class in 2009. We split the team into two groups after the fitness session with one going to work with our strength and conditioning coach, Mark Thobe, and the other heading off to the pool for aerobics and resistance training. The third session involves a short but intense technical session at 11am. After lunch, we bring the squad into a lecture room and educate them on a topic. Yesterday, we went over injury protocol, equipment protocol and locker room protocol. The late afternoon is reserved for our main tactical session.

Our pre-season is designed as one large competition and points are received for many different tests. At the end of the day, the winner gets to wear the "coveted" red jersey! This increases the competitive nature of everything we do.

All in all it has been a great week to be a Flyer! The weather was cool, we had extremely high energy and each session has been very intense.

We hope you will enjoy reading these updates and learning more about the 2008 Dayton Flyers. We enjoy the passion you share for this great Flyer Family!

GO FLYERS!