It's safe to say that the time since I joined the league has been full of a lot of exciting things to do and have the chance to be a part of. I have enjoyed every minute of it and it has been really exciting working towards getting my player out on the field and playing the game. After a lot of waiting, that finally happened last night as James Wilkinson suited up for his DSFL debut as a waiver player for the Portland Pythons. Wilkinson was picked up by the team at the end of last week and has spent the last few days studying the playbook in order to be effective as soon as he joins the team.
It could not have been a more tense time for him to join the league too. With the Pythons locked in a race to the playoffs there was a lot of pressure on the team to win their games and going into the locker room James could feel the tension immediately. The first game that he was going to be playing in was a home game against the Tijuana Luchadores. James was grateful that he did not have to travel all the way to Tijuana for his first game and was excited to be able to get the chance to play in front of a home crowd in Portland.
Because of his position as a waiver player who is at least a year younger than the rest of the team and has not had the chance to develop and gain experience that others had James knew that the role he would play on the team would be very limited to start with. He didn't take the field in his debut and spent the whole game watching from the bench but this was definitely the best thing for him at this stage in his career. Not playing in the game gave him the chance to learn the pace that the sport is played in the DSFL and watch how things work at a new level. It is very different to the way that things are done in college so not playing immediately and getting the chance to watch things first will be something that should help him in the long run. Because confidence is so important to be successful it was important that he didn't play too badly in his first game in the league, so James was grateful that he got the chance to sit and watch before having to make the jump and start playing!
The next game the team played meant that James did have to get on a plane and travel, when the Pythons went out on the road to play the Minnesota Grey Ducks. This game was even more tense than the first because of what was on the line. The Pythons and the Grey Ducks play in the same conference and this game was going to have a big effect on which team would be able to make it into the playoffs. Everyone who was in the locker room was very nervous, and James There are players who the team can target when they are passing who are better at this point in time and James knew that this would be the case. He was just grateful to have the chance to play for a team and get to experience some games in the league before his rookie season starts.
In the two games that he has played with the team so far, James has made just one catch for 4 yards. But having the chance to make that catch means a lot to him and has filled him with confidence that even without time to develop and learn properly he can still be used in the league. He knows that these games will give him a flavor of what it is he needs to do next season and he is grateful that he has had the chance to spend time around a team that is in the hunt for a playoff spot. It was a tough night for the Pythons because they went on to lose the game. The mood in the locker room was incredibly sad. The players on the team knew that they were going to need to win the game and when they didn't it felt like everything was finished for them. It was strange for James to be in the locker room because he had not been through the struggles the rest of the team had in the season or put in the work that they had, but he was there for the disappointment. Being able to watch the team and see how much winning had meant to them taught James a lot about what it is that he would need to do and how hard he would need to work to avoid that feeling again.
There are two games left to play in the season for the Pythons. I think that there will be less intensity in these games because a lot of the team has accepted that their chances at making the playoffs are not there anymore.
For James it is still a great opportunity to show DSFL teams what he can do and get as much experience of the league as he can. With every day that passes we are getting closer to the DSFL Draft that James will be a part of and it is really important to him that he is able to give the best impression possible to scouts. He has a lot of hard work to do between now and then but the main focus he has this week is working hard in training with the Pythons. He would love to get the chance to have some more opportunities in the last two games that he plays but the only way that will happen is if he works hard and puts the extra hours in so that he can improve as much as possible. It was not a dream week for the team and James did not get the full opportunity to show his potential but that's totally understandable.
All that James knows is he is very grateful for the chance to play the sport that he loves on one of the biggest stages possible. Getting to know the team and its coaches has been a lot of fun and a great introduction into the league for James. He is excited to get to spend some more time with them before he may have to leave when the draft comes. He has been told that because so many of the players on defense are going to be leaving to go to the ISFL that his position might not be seen as a priority for the team in the draft so he is enjoying every minute with the team that he has in case he does not get the chance to return. I'm hoping that the team can end the season on a high note even if we don't make it to the playoffs, and hopefully if James is brought into the game at all he is able to help make a good contribution to our success!
Article Length:1,206 words!
It could not have been a more tense time for him to join the league too. With the Pythons locked in a race to the playoffs there was a lot of pressure on the team to win their games and going into the locker room James could feel the tension immediately. The first game that he was going to be playing in was a home game against the Tijuana Luchadores. James was grateful that he did not have to travel all the way to Tijuana for his first game and was excited to be able to get the chance to play in front of a home crowd in Portland.
Because of his position as a waiver player who is at least a year younger than the rest of the team and has not had the chance to develop and gain experience that others had James knew that the role he would play on the team would be very limited to start with. He didn't take the field in his debut and spent the whole game watching from the bench but this was definitely the best thing for him at this stage in his career. Not playing in the game gave him the chance to learn the pace that the sport is played in the DSFL and watch how things work at a new level. It is very different to the way that things are done in college so not playing immediately and getting the chance to watch things first will be something that should help him in the long run. Because confidence is so important to be successful it was important that he didn't play too badly in his first game in the league, so James was grateful that he got the chance to sit and watch before having to make the jump and start playing!
The next game the team played meant that James did have to get on a plane and travel, when the Pythons went out on the road to play the Minnesota Grey Ducks. This game was even more tense than the first because of what was on the line. The Pythons and the Grey Ducks play in the same conference and this game was going to have a big effect on which team would be able to make it into the playoffs. Everyone who was in the locker room was very nervous, and James There are players who the team can target when they are passing who are better at this point in time and James knew that this would be the case. He was just grateful to have the chance to play for a team and get to experience some games in the league before his rookie season starts.
In the two games that he has played with the team so far, James has made just one catch for 4 yards. But having the chance to make that catch means a lot to him and has filled him with confidence that even without time to develop and learn properly he can still be used in the league. He knows that these games will give him a flavor of what it is he needs to do next season and he is grateful that he has had the chance to spend time around a team that is in the hunt for a playoff spot. It was a tough night for the Pythons because they went on to lose the game. The mood in the locker room was incredibly sad. The players on the team knew that they were going to need to win the game and when they didn't it felt like everything was finished for them. It was strange for James to be in the locker room because he had not been through the struggles the rest of the team had in the season or put in the work that they had, but he was there for the disappointment. Being able to watch the team and see how much winning had meant to them taught James a lot about what it is that he would need to do and how hard he would need to work to avoid that feeling again.
There are two games left to play in the season for the Pythons. I think that there will be less intensity in these games because a lot of the team has accepted that their chances at making the playoffs are not there anymore.
For James it is still a great opportunity to show DSFL teams what he can do and get as much experience of the league as he can. With every day that passes we are getting closer to the DSFL Draft that James will be a part of and it is really important to him that he is able to give the best impression possible to scouts. He has a lot of hard work to do between now and then but the main focus he has this week is working hard in training with the Pythons. He would love to get the chance to have some more opportunities in the last two games that he plays but the only way that will happen is if he works hard and puts the extra hours in so that he can improve as much as possible. It was not a dream week for the team and James did not get the full opportunity to show his potential but that's totally understandable.
All that James knows is he is very grateful for the chance to play the sport that he loves on one of the biggest stages possible. Getting to know the team and its coaches has been a lot of fun and a great introduction into the league for James. He is excited to get to spend some more time with them before he may have to leave when the draft comes. He has been told that because so many of the players on defense are going to be leaving to go to the ISFL that his position might not be seen as a priority for the team in the draft so he is enjoying every minute with the team that he has in case he does not get the chance to return. I'm hoping that the team can end the season on a high note even if we don't make it to the playoffs, and hopefully if James is brought into the game at all he is able to help make a good contribution to our success!
Article Length:1,206 words!
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