Bears keep cool at camp Season-opener looms for Bears

ORONO – Most people figure college football training camps are a perfect way for coaches to work their athletes into shape during the dog days of August.

University of Maine head coach Jack Cosgrove doesn’t agree. For Cosgrove and his staff, a perfect camp is one in which all the athletes show up in great shape, and able to perform at a high level from the beginning.

“A big characteristic of this program the last couple of years is the understanding that we need to be in shape,” Cosgrove said. “We don’t want to get the team in shape during preseason.”

Cosgrove’s Bears have been in camp for nearly two weeks now, preparing for the Aug. 31 season-opener against Central Connecticut at Portland’s Fitzpatrick Stadium.

Cosgrove said training camp has been relatively uneventful this year, with no players sustaining injuries that will sideline them for long. And he pointed out that all of the Bears have passed their preseason conditioning test. The vast majority did so on their first attempt.

Cosgrove said that last week’s run of hot weather proved testy for the Bears, though.

“I’ve always felt that we have a higher quality preseason than some other programs because we’re not suffocating [due to heat and humidity],” Cosgrove said. “We have some hot days, but not like some of our opponents at the southern schools. This year, at times, it’s been suffocating for us, for our players, to deal with.”

Star safety Dave Cusano said the coaching staff has been very aware of the dangers associated with overworking players in the heat.

“There’s no hiding from the heat. Out on the practice field, there’s not many trees out there,” Cusano said. “But Coach did a great job of managing us through that.”

Offensive lineman Pete Richardson of Millinocket said camp has been productive, since four of five starters return in his unit. And he said the heat is something he has come to expect.

“It’s always bad. Honestly, when it comes down to it, it’s preseason camp and the heat’s one of the few things that you have to worry about,” Richardson said. “But I never concentrated much on it.”

To combat the heat, Cosgrove and his staff tinkered with the practice schedule last week, bringing in the Bears earlier on some days and pushing practice later into the evening to avoid the midday heat.

In addition, the Bears have had Powerade and fruit available in the locker room, and have taken drastic measures to make sure players take in fluid that will help them during grueling practices.

“Last year we had a [player] around here who thought Coca-Cola was water,” he said. [This year] we shut down [the soft drink dispenser] in the caf. They can have juice, water or Powerade. Those types of things are necessary, because we’re asking them to do so much.”

The Bears will scrimmage today, and plan to focus their attention on Central Connecticut beginning with Saturday’s workouts.

BEAR TRACKS: Tickets are on sale today at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland for Maine’s season-opener. Ticket prices are $15 for adults and $10 for youth and senior citizens. Sales will be walk-up, cash only and continue through Aug. 29, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. After Aug. 29, tickets will not be on sale again in the Portland area prior to game day at 4:30 p.m. For more information, contact the UMaine ticket office at 581-BEAR or 1-800-756-TEAM.