Time Zones not Comfort Zones
by GEORGE SOMERVILLE
“Experience is what college is about and this is one of those experiences that they will remember for the rest of their lives” Arizona State Sundevils Head Football Coach, Kenny Dillingham told The Touchdown during a video call this week.
“It’s going to be an experience for our players – a lot of our guys have never been to London, some have never left the country”
Dillingham was talking about the excitement building in the Sundevils program ahead of a week three matchup with the Kansas Jayhawks at Wembley in the inaugural Union Jack Classic game.
To play or not to play?
American Football has been played competitively by NFL teams and, now, by college football teams in the United Kingdom for nearly 20 years.
But in nearly two decades of football being played in the UK, the debate around how to structure the trip continues. Travelling thousands of miles and time zones – should teams treat the trip as all business or try to fit in some cultural experience as well?
This week, Arizona State Sundevils Head Football Coach Kenny Dillingham spoke to The Touchdown as the build-up to the inaugural Union Jack Classic begins in earnest.
And we asked Sundevils’ Head Coach how they plan to deal with this.
time zones not comfort zones
Ask any NFL Head Coach, and they will probably give you a different answer. Even if the team has visited London more than once, teams have very differing views on travel, especially given the regular turnover of staff.
NFL teams have really struggled with this over the years. Some teams arrive in London on a Monday straight after a Sunday game in the US. Other teams arrive as late as possible, sometimes as late as a Friday evening.
The impact of crossing time zones certainly is a factor – players often cite being exhausted after the transatlantic trip. Hardly ideal preparation for a competitive game, which helps determine how their season will end up. The “arrive early trip” was designed to acclimatise the team as quickly as possible. This makes sense. Get across, settle in and let nature take its course.
The “arrive as late as you can” also makes sense. Get across in sync with US time and stay on US time until you get back. Much easier to do this if you are in London for a short period.
But here’s the problem. Teams could use one strategy and win, and then next time come across with the same plan and lose. Because football is a strange game, and it comes down to individual performance.
Sports psychologists’ core principle is that sports people are creatures of habit. Habit breeds repetition and consistency, which lead to success. Drop those same players out of their normal routine, and it’s difficult to predict what the outcome might be.
The Big Smoke
However, one of the biggest attractions of playing overseas is experiencing what the city has to offer. New York and London love to spar over the title of the most exciting and vibrant city in the world, and people want to experience it. Ask the fans who travel in their thousands from across the US about their trips to Wembley or Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. They all love it. The players should and do too.
So here is the conundrum. How much enjoyment should the players get out of the trip? Is there time and space for cultural experiences?
On a prior trip to London with the New York Giants, now ex-Head Coach Brian Daboll said it was “all business”.
When the Green Bay Packers came to London for the first time, their superstar Quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, bemoaned the players’ lack of time to experience London.
College Football for the first time at Wembley!
BIGXII Matchup in the big smoke
Now take that level of excitement and inject it into 18- 21-year-olds. Remember, these student athletes might never have been out of their own state, let alone the country. For this trip, student-athletes and coaches have had to obtain passports just for this adventure.
It is harder to call the trip “all business” when the athletes are at school, and part of the reason for the game is to help develop them as young adults and prepare them for life.
However, with the inaugural Union Jack Classic being a BIGXII conference matchup, the outcome is very important to both teams. We have seen with the NFL how easily an international game impacts how this season continues for either team. This is no “jolly” across the pond to see Big Ben.
So this week, with the opportunity to sit down with Sundevils Head Football Coach Kenny Dillingham, I asked that question. How do you find the right balance?
“That’s a great question” said Dillingham as he sat back in his chair.
Dilligham explains the logistics of the trip. On the Saturday before travelling to London, the Sundevils are on the road in College Station, Texas. This means they don’t need to make the long trip to London directly from Phoenix, Arizona. A trip which is in excess of 5,000 miles and would be a 10-hour flight. Breaking the journey up with a stopover in Texas helps significantly with the mental aspect of the trip.
This means the Sundevils will arrive in London on Sunday, a full six days before the game at Wembley. This is on purpose to help with the transition. The Sundevils have subscribed to the “arrive early” plan.
London Calling
And what of the London experience?
“we”ll let our guys Sunday night or later afternoon and Monday experience London and go explore and do what they want to do”
But by Monday night, Dillingham is looking for the team to turn their attention 100% to the game plan to face the Jayhawks.
“that first 24 hours lets enjoy something the guys have never been a part of ” continued Dillingham. The Sundevils Head Coach is determined to let his coaching staff and student athletes enjoy London and get that part out of the way before settling back into game planning.
“I don’t want it on their mind, “when am I going to get the opportunity to do something”, said Dillingham. “I want them to go do it when they land and experience it and then lock back in and go win a football game”.
Winner takes the spoils
Like any scheduled game during the season, one team will emerge victorious. Truth is, leaving London with a loss makes for a long trip home. Thankfully and rightly, the BIGXII have scheduled bye weeks straight after the London trip, giving both teams a chance to rest and recuperate after the journey home.
With other Union Jack games scheduled in the future, teams planning to come across in later years will be watching this year’s inaugural game with great interest.
But at the end of the day, both teams and their personnel will have the most amazing experience to relive time and time again. Win or lose.
They can’t; we can’t wait. Roll on September!
If you don’t already have tickets for the game, they can be purchased now on the Union Jack Classic website at https://unionjackclassic.com/tickets-hospitality/
GEORGE SOMERVILLE
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WRITER
GEORGE IS A LONG STANDING FANATIC OF LIFE AND FOOTBALL IN THE DEEP SOUTH AND WRITES HIS WEEKLY COLUMN CALLED “IT’S ONLY SEC” FOR THE TOUCHDOWN. HE IS ALSO CO-HOST AND ONE THIRD OF THE COLLEGE CHAPS PODCAST, THE UK’S FIRST PODCAST DEDICATED TO THE COLLEGE GAME.