I am often asked my opinion on things that involve football. The questions range from how to find which player position best suits a child to who I think will win the Super Bowl, and pretty much everything in between. I have many thoughts on the game, on coaching, and on improving performance, so I am starting Passing Thoughts to share some of those thoughts. I welcome your comments and conversation. –KR

Friday, January 10, 2014

Roundtable with the Coaches: Will Powell Heads to France

Our Academy athletes and families are well acquainted with Coach Will Powell. He has worked with many of our athletes over the past year, and he is definitely a well-respected and much-appreciated member of the Riggs Premier Football staff. Coach Powell will be leaving this week to play football overseas in Nimes, France, for the spring and summer. Coach Riggs asked him to share a few thoughts before he takes off on this football adventure:


Tell us about the team you will be playing for and the area of France it is in.
I will be playing for the Nimes Centurions in Nimes, France. Nimes is located in the south of France about 20 minutes away from the Mediterranean Sea. The Centurions are coming off of a Division 2 championship, and this is their first year in the Division 1 French league. We are looking to contend for another title in the D1 level!

What will be different about the game itself or the game experience in France?
The game itself will not change in terms of rules or playing style. But what will be different are my responsibilities on the team. I will be playing wide receiver and safety, which I have not played since my freshman year of college. I will also be responsible to help coach my teammates. I am looking forward to sharing my knowledge of American Football with my team!


How can your fans in Sioux Falls follow your experience in Nimes?
I will constantly be updating my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages so it will be easy for people to follow me while abroad (Will17Powell). The official Centurions website is centurions-nimes.com. I also will be blogging while I am overseas. I am not completely done with the website yet, but the link is willpowell605.wordpress.com

How will this experience improve you as a player and a person?
The experience will help me as a player because I will simply be responsible for much more on the field than I was accustomed to at USD. I will be returning kicks and punts in addition to playing both sides of the ball. So it will certainly be a challenge physically to be able to stay healthy and play at a high level week in and week out.

As a person, I am excited to get out of my comfort zone, that being South Dakota. I am looking forward to traveling to a place where no one really knows who I am. Some people may be afraid by that, but it is something I've never really experienced before being raised in South Dakota, and then playing college ball here as well. Finally, I am hoping to get a better feel for what I really desire to do in life for a career, whether that be coaching, training, or whatever.

Do you speak any French? How do you feel about French cuisine?
I got Rosetta Stone a few months back and have been practicing my French on and off. French is a difficult language though! I hope to become somewhat fluent by the time I return to the states. And for cuisine, I really haven't looked too far into what types of food they eat there regularly. I am a huge seafood fan, so being close to the Mediterranean will absolutely have its benefits!


What are you most excited about?
I am most excited about seeing another part of the world. I love traveling and seeing historical places. So I am really going to the perfect place to experience a whole new culture.

It is great to see Coach Powell pursuing his passion for football and for travel! We will stay in touch with him and provide updates on his experience overseas. We wish him the very best of luck, and we look forward to hearing all about it when he returns. Best wishes, Coach Powell!























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