Hi everyone.

After a bye week we will be bringing you two issues of the coach’s corner this week. Special teams coach Rich Stora will be submitting his first contribution to the corner later in the week which will include a summary of the Syracuse game and his philosophy on special teams. Under his leadership, our special teams, especially our punting team, have been getting better every week. All too frequently, the special teams are a secondary if not forgotten part of game day preparation. However, our staff decided early on that we would attempt to give the special teams the equal status as the offense and defense and this decision has been key to our success this year. With the number of injuries we have had this year, much of our success has depended on Rich’s ability to correctly make frequent changes to the six separate units that make up special teams.

I would also like to thank defensive coordinator Bill Nash for his excellent submission last week. It is this type of cooperation I receive from the other coaches and the administration that makes coaching the New York Sharks possible. As a coach, Bill brings energy to the defense that is remarkable and has raised the level of intensity across the board.

I would like to thank the members of the Syracuse Sting organization who gave us the game of our lives last night. I must congratulate their coaching staff and players alike who have simply made one of the most remarkable transformations I have seen in coaching. On a cold, (at least by summer standards) and windy night, they rebounded from the one sided loss in New York to push us to the wall. It was only an interception by Courtney Eaton, as the Sting was marching deep in our end of the field with less than 30 seconds left that assured us of the victory. They have improved in all areas of their game and should be proud of their performance and I expect that they will continue to play at such a high level.

However, it was their assistance in dealing with issues we had with the transportation company that reminded me of how important it is for all of the teams to work together so that this wonderful dream can continue. With the news that many of the women’s teams are having financial difficulty and the reported folding of the Tampa Tempest, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you, the fans that all of this is only possible with your support. Sometimes, we forget how incredibly expensive it is to play this game and although the players make great physical and financial sacrifices, it is ultimately the support we receive from the fans that allows us to continue. To all of you, on behalf of all of the members of the Sharks organization, I extend our deepest appreciation for allowing all of us, (myself included), to finally chase our dreams. We will continue to reward you for your generosity with the best effort we can give on the field each practice and game, but I wish I could give each of you a well-deserved pat on the back and every member of the Sharks’ organization applauds each of you.

Thank you.

Richie Scarpa