Summer Thoughts

It's blazing hot, I can't remember the last time it rained and no UCO team will be playing for at least another month and a half. Which means it must be the middle of July in Oklahoma.

Some random thoughts as we get through the dog days of summer . . .

Work continues at Wantland Stadium, where new turf is being installed to replace the original one that went in before the 2003 season. It didn't take long to strip off the old turf, but repairs have to be made to the drainage system and other areas before the new green stuff can be put down.

Everything will be ready by the time practice starts in early August and the new field will look far better than the old one, though most UCO fans won't see it until Oct. 1 when the Bronchos host East Central in the 2011 home opener. And that will be Homecoming, by the way.

Work is also going on in the Hamilton Field House weight room, but I'm talking about the kind where guys of all sizes are flinging around massive amounts of iron. Dozens of UCO football players are busy preparing for the upcoming season with daily sessions in the weight room and early-morning runs, with seven-on-seven work being conducted several times a week during the evening.

Several of those guys graciously helped last week with the filming of a public service announcement being done by KOKH Fox 25 for the upcoming Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Labor Day Telethon. "Make a muscle, make a difference" was the slogan, with Joshua Birmingham, Herbert Byrd, Tucker Cason, Bryce Davis, Matt Jackson Sam Moses, Keno Meadows and Justin Pruitt participating in the the commercial that was filmed at three different locations on campus. Kudos to those guys for taking time out of their day to help out.

Volleyball camp is going on this week at Hamilton Field House. A boys basketball camp was held last week, which followed a girls basketball camp, which followed a boys/girls soccer camp, which followed a softball camp, which followed a baseball camp. You get the idea. Summer is a time for camps and there have been plenty on them this summer as hundreds of kids of all ages come to campus for the various camps held by our coaches.

Summer will be over soon, so enjoy it while it lasts.