Practice Makes Perfect
TEAM USA FOOTBALL is in its second week of practice for the NFL Global Junior Championship XI with head coach Mark Guandolo confident that his 40-man roster of Broward and Miami-Dade county seniors is making progress.
The student athletes who will face international teams representing Canada, France, Japan, Mexico and Panama during Super Bowl week have been practicing at Florida International University.
Having spent four sessions on the gridiron they will practice every day except Friday this week from 4.30pm to 7pm. From Monday to Wednesday they will continue at Florida International University then will move to the Miami Dolphins’ indoor practice facility on Thursday only.
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“We’ve got a great group of coaches really working hard with the players,” said Guandolo (pictured) whose team will take part in the annual Super Bowl event on Wednesday, January 31 and Saturday, February 3 at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
“It has been a pleasure working with young men and the squad is coming together nicely. It is a challenge just trying to put together a team from a group of individuals in a team, let alone 40 who have not played together before.
”We’re extremely grateful to the Dolphins for making their facility available to us. As well as being a top class venue it also gives these young players an opportunity to enjoy practicing in an environment that is used by the players they see on television every Sunday.”
Defending champion Canada has already arrived in Florida in a bid to win a third successive NFL Global Junior Championship title. Head coach Glen Constantin and his 40-man roster kicked off a mini camp at UCF in Orlando on Monday and will practice there from January 22 to 27. 
First year Canada coach Constantin, who was previously the team’s defensive coordinator, invited 600 players to tryouts north of the border. His final selections come from Quebec (23 players), Ontario (8), Alberta (7), B.C. (1) and the Maritimes (1).
The five overseas will arrive in South Florida on Sunday and will live with host families from local schools Cardinal Gibbons (Canada), Pine Crest (France), North Broward Prep (Japan), Western High (Mexico), and University School (Panama). Tickets for the NFL Global Junior Championship cost $5 per day and are available from those schools that will benefit from one hundred percent of the proceeds.
Team USA practice schedule:
January 22, 23, 24 Florida International University (South) 4.30pm to 7pm
January 25 Miami Dolphins indoor practice facility 4.30pm to 7pm
(Note: Friday practice cancelled)
Jan 30 and Feb 1, 2 Chaminade-Madonna Preparatory School 4.15pm to 6pm
Directions to Florida International University from Florida Turnpike:
Take Homestead Extension South
Take SW 8th Street Exit 25 and merge onto SW 8th Street / Tamiami Trl/FL-90 E towards Miami
Turn right onto Snapper Creek Road / Turn left onto SW 17th Street / Turn right onto SW 115 Ave
Turn left onto SW 17th Street to 11310 SW 17th Street, Miami, FL 33199
Directions to Miami Dolphins indoor practice facility:
Take I-595 West to University Drive exit
Proceed off exit and turn left onto University Drive (going south)
Go past three traffic lights to SW 30th Street and turn left / Entrance to facility is 300 yards on right
Media should park in the Media Parking Lot
Directions to Chaminade-Madonna Preparatory School:
500 Chaminade Drive Hollywood, FL 33021
From the Turnpike or 441: Exit at Hollywood Blvd. and travel east.
At 52nd Avenue turn North (left) two blocks. At the stop sign, veer to the right around the school’s athletic fields and park in main parking lot on your left.
From I-95: Exit at Hollywood Blvd. and travel west (across train tracks).
At 52nd Avenue turn North (right) two blocks. At the stop sign, veer to the right around the school’s athletic fields and park in main parking lot on your left.