The Calgary Roughnecks open their training camp this weekend, and the team will be coming in with a new coach after underachieving the past two seasons.
Jon Harnett is coming into his third training camp with the Roughnecks, and he says it is time for the team to step up.
“There is no excuse for coming up short the past two seasons.” Harnett says. “I think we just need to have more consistency across the board. We sort of tailed off last year towards the end. We were playing our best ball in March rather than catching fire and improving heading into the playoffs in May. We certainly took Edmonton lightly last year in round one because we had their number but they took it to us pretty good. You can’t take any team lightly in this league because it is a one-and-done playoff system. It has been a long off-season I can tell you that. All we can really do is remember that sour taste the loss left in our mouths and use it as motivation for 2013.”
Harnett and the Roughnecks will be coached this season by Curt Malawsky who has been an assistant coach for three years. Harnett says that the comfort level is never too high with Malawsky.
“Curt has coached the Roughnecks the past three seasons and I have been there for two of them.” he says. “I don’t think you can ever feel super comfortable with Curt. He has a mind for the game like no other and is one of the best coaches I have ever had, but Curt just expects so much from his players and always keeps us in check. Curt is a coach you want to put it on the line for. I don’t think you can ever feel comfortable in his system because the minute that happens is the minute you become stagnant and less motivated as a player.”
Training camp is a very important time for NLL teams as they prepare for the season, but Harnett and the Roughnecks are ready.
“Showing up to camp in your best shape both mentally and physically is what you owe your teammates, coaches, and yourself. I am expecting this year to be a more competitive camp than my prior four training camps in the league. We have a lot of great players returning, the coaching staff and front office have signed some strong free agents and also drafted really well. I am eager to meet some of the new guys and get things going on the field.
“I am very excited for the upcoming 2013 season. We have unfinished business to take care of after last year did not end the way we wanted it to. But I am not looking that far ahead. My main focus is to come into training camp and work my hardest and push my teammates.”
