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Witt's Waddle teaches football in Germany
Defensive coordinator for the Tigers worked as an instructor at a youth camp in Europe last month.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
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Andy WaddleSPRINGFIELD — It wasn't exactly a recruiting trip, but Andy Waddle made sure he spread the Wittenberg University name around in a country that knows Wittenberg as a city.
Waddle, entering his third season as the Tigers' defensive coordinator, traveled to Germany from June 17-28 to work as an instructor at the Kaiserslautern Youth Tackle Football Camp.
There were 95 high-school aged players at the three-day camp. About 80 of them were American kids living with their families at American military bases in Europe.
"There were certainly some talented players there," said Waddle, 29, a Greenon High School graduate. "There were some D-I prospects, certainly some D-III prospects. Maybe two of those kids we'll be able to follow through with."
Restricted by rules, Waddle wasn't able to do any real recruiting. He did get to experience Europe for the first time and interacted with coaches from every level of football.
Waddle also toured the various bases in the Kaiserslautern Military Community, including Ramstein Air Base. The coaches visited with wounded soldiers and distributed football memorabilia.
John Shannon, the offensive coordinator at Marshall University, ran the camp. He knew Waddle from a football camp at the University of Toledo, and that's how Waddle ended up in Germany. Among the other coaches was Rick Courtright, an assistant with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals.
The point of the camp was no different than any others in the United States. Children do play football at American army bases in Europe and across the world, but they don't often get the chance to attend the camps held throughout the states.
"Some of the programs (in Europe) are good programs," Waddle said. "Some of them would fit in with teams from back in the states. I'm sure some of them aren't that way. ... Realistically, the coaching level over there is quite a bit different."
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0351 or djablonski@coxohio.com.
