Post by Banana Cat on Jul 7, 2011 6:13:23 GMT -5
www.lfl360.com/articles/philadelphia-passion/passion-puzzle-run/
PASSION PIECING TOGETHER PUZZLE FOR TITLE RUN
There are no more tryouts this year. Training camp has come and gone. The next piece in the Philadelphia Passion’s puzzle was to set the final roster, and after a long, hard thought out process, head coach Chandler Brown has done just that.
And it wasn’t easy for him.
One could sense the struggle he was having in trimming the squad down to reach the mandatory number. There were two dozen women, each vying for a coveted roster spot several weeks ago that he believed had what it takes to play in the Lingerie Football League. Unfortunately, only 20 of them could ultimately make the team.
“It was extremely tough,” says Brown, referring to the overall selection process. “We have players come out and dedicate so much time, effort and energy to be in that top 20 and I had 24 strong players. They all worked their butts off. They made it really hard for me to get it down to 20.”
In the end, the LFL’s 2010-11 Head Coach of Year finalized his decision and with the final tally, the Philadelphia Passion are complete to compete for another chance to win that attainable but to-date elusive championship.
Returning from the 2010 team will be Christy Bell, Marirose Roach, Jaleesa McCrary, Tyrah Lusby, Whitney Paronish, Lauren La Bella, Donna Ferry, Danielle Gassler, Heather Roy, Angela Perfetto and Tanyka Renee.
That means over 50-percent of last year’s Eastern Conference Championship squad; the group that didn’t suffer a loss until falling just short of winning it all in Lingerie Bowl VIII, will be returning to try again.
One name not on the aforementioned list is Shelley Lashley, who has been with the Passion since 2009 and participated in all preseason activities this year. In what Brown called “one of the three or four hardest decisions I had to make in my life,” Lashley was cut from the 2011 final roster and as it stands right now, will not be playing a third season in Philadelphia. “She’s a great player and a great person,” Brown says. “It’s just that some of these new players that came in deserve a shot as well to show what they can do. It’s just one of the tough things about this job.”
The new players Brown refers to are the talented rookie class that has looked impressive so far. Their strong play is what made Lashley expendable. Playing their first season in the LFL in Philly this year will be Kia Davidson, Stephanie Orgi, Jena Robertson, Chrystal Leach, Britannia Frazier, Jenny Butler, Kylie Fehnel, Shanae Thomas and Kate Osman. This group will certainly provide the Passion with some much needed depth. They have intrigued Coach Brown and have added a whole new level of excitement for last year’s stars.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing the new players out there,” Roach says. “We have some great rookies and some great returning players that have only gotten stronger, faster and more knowledgeable of the game.”
Now that we know who will be representing the City of Brotherly Love, what’s next for the ladies in green? It appears that as the women get ready to put on the pads and up the tempo in practice, team unity is going to be a major focus throughout the remainder of the preseason. Anyone from last year’s team says that major component to their success was the tight relationships they developed both on and off of the field and that’s an element that must carry over to this season.
“Last year everyone was so close,” Perfetto says. “We were literally like sisters, so this year we just have to make the rookies feel comfortable with us and everyone needs to get together and be on the same page and that will get us there again.”
Presenting the 2011-2012 Philadelphia Passion. A team that has been working hard, but has a lot of hard work left to do. A strong rookie class that looks great on paper, but must prove they have what it takes to succeed in this league. A compatible group that still has to develop the same chemistry last year’s team possessed.
“Now that we have our top 20, we need to kick it up a little bit more,” notes Brown.
That appears to be the next piece that must fit this puzzle if the Passion are to repeat as conference champions and earn the chance to compete for the coveted Lingerie Bowl Championship.
There are no more tryouts this year. Training camp has come and gone. The next piece in the Philadelphia Passion’s puzzle was to set the final roster, and after a long, hard thought out process, head coach Chandler Brown has done just that.
And it wasn’t easy for him.
One could sense the struggle he was having in trimming the squad down to reach the mandatory number. There were two dozen women, each vying for a coveted roster spot several weeks ago that he believed had what it takes to play in the Lingerie Football League. Unfortunately, only 20 of them could ultimately make the team.
“It was extremely tough,” says Brown, referring to the overall selection process. “We have players come out and dedicate so much time, effort and energy to be in that top 20 and I had 24 strong players. They all worked their butts off. They made it really hard for me to get it down to 20.”
In the end, the LFL’s 2010-11 Head Coach of Year finalized his decision and with the final tally, the Philadelphia Passion are complete to compete for another chance to win that attainable but to-date elusive championship.
Returning from the 2010 team will be Christy Bell, Marirose Roach, Jaleesa McCrary, Tyrah Lusby, Whitney Paronish, Lauren La Bella, Donna Ferry, Danielle Gassler, Heather Roy, Angela Perfetto and Tanyka Renee.
That means over 50-percent of last year’s Eastern Conference Championship squad; the group that didn’t suffer a loss until falling just short of winning it all in Lingerie Bowl VIII, will be returning to try again.
One name not on the aforementioned list is Shelley Lashley, who has been with the Passion since 2009 and participated in all preseason activities this year. In what Brown called “one of the three or four hardest decisions I had to make in my life,” Lashley was cut from the 2011 final roster and as it stands right now, will not be playing a third season in Philadelphia. “She’s a great player and a great person,” Brown says. “It’s just that some of these new players that came in deserve a shot as well to show what they can do. It’s just one of the tough things about this job.”
The new players Brown refers to are the talented rookie class that has looked impressive so far. Their strong play is what made Lashley expendable. Playing their first season in the LFL in Philly this year will be Kia Davidson, Stephanie Orgi, Jena Robertson, Chrystal Leach, Britannia Frazier, Jenny Butler, Kylie Fehnel, Shanae Thomas and Kate Osman. This group will certainly provide the Passion with some much needed depth. They have intrigued Coach Brown and have added a whole new level of excitement for last year’s stars.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing the new players out there,” Roach says. “We have some great rookies and some great returning players that have only gotten stronger, faster and more knowledgeable of the game.”
Now that we know who will be representing the City of Brotherly Love, what’s next for the ladies in green? It appears that as the women get ready to put on the pads and up the tempo in practice, team unity is going to be a major focus throughout the remainder of the preseason. Anyone from last year’s team says that major component to their success was the tight relationships they developed both on and off of the field and that’s an element that must carry over to this season.
“Last year everyone was so close,” Perfetto says. “We were literally like sisters, so this year we just have to make the rookies feel comfortable with us and everyone needs to get together and be on the same page and that will get us there again.”
Presenting the 2011-2012 Philadelphia Passion. A team that has been working hard, but has a lot of hard work left to do. A strong rookie class that looks great on paper, but must prove they have what it takes to succeed in this league. A compatible group that still has to develop the same chemistry last year’s team possessed.
“Now that we have our top 20, we need to kick it up a little bit more,” notes Brown.
That appears to be the next piece that must fit this puzzle if the Passion are to repeat as conference champions and earn the chance to compete for the coveted Lingerie Bowl Championship.