Sebastian Stolz Camp Blog Part 1: Punishing Pröller
Hello Raider Nation,
It's good to be back at The Oakland Raiders training camp in Napa, California. It's the fourth time in a row I come here to let people in Europe – particular in Germany and Austria – know about the Raiders preparation for the upcoming season and to assist the guest coaches from the SWARCO Raiders, Austrian sister team of The Oakland Raiders, with their blogs and media assignments.
This year SWARCO Raiders head coach Shuan Fatah, offensive coordinator Lee Rowland and Andreas Pröller join me here in Napa. And yes, you heard right. Pröller is back. My good friend was with me when the SWARCO Raiders got invited for the very first time to the International Guest Coach Program in 2008.
Back then he was still an active player for the Tyroleans, assisting as an offensive coach with the youth teams. Now, after winning the 2011 Eurobowl and Austrian Bowl, Pröller has retired to become the SWARCO Raiders fulltime strength and conditioning coach, a job he took over in the 2011 offseason. And who better to talk to about the business of getting players in shape than Brad Roll, strength and conditioning coach of The Oakland Raiders.
Roll, who actually was with the German Olympic weightlifting coaching and training staff in Leipzig in 1987, has more than 30 years of coaching experience. But a meeting with coach Roll is anything but typical. Before talking to Pröller the Austrian had to do "The Nasty," an intense 22-minute drill that got its name for a reason.
Pröller, known to be a man who takes on every challenge, didn't flinch this time either. He fought his way through the drill, taking on the ropes, a bike, bench pressing, boxing, kickboxing and other exercises in order to complete the drill.
Now coach Roll was willing to listen to his new apprentice, who needed a couple of minutes to catch his breath. So Pröller showed Roll the drills and exercises he lets his players go through. And while Roll was impressed with the improvements the SWARCO Raiders players made throughout the 2011 season, he asked Pröller to push them even further. Now that Pröller has hung up his cleats, he'll do it without hesitating. Watch out, SWARCO Raiders players, the pain train is coming…
Thanks for reading my blog...
Sebastian Stolz
