Every day during the Global Challenge Bowl, the event’s media team of Michael Preston and Lauren Hickey will post an update here on the official site of Team Stars & Stripes.

Second update – Sunday, March 15, 7.30pm… Yokoto US Airbase, Tokyo, Japan, By Michael Preston:

Well, if they weren’t tired this morning after a long flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo, then the players of Team Stars & Stripes should certainly be ready to get off their feet tonight after not one, not two, but three practices on their first day in Japan.

The team set foot on Japanese soil – American soil technically since we are on the Yokota military base – for the first time when they hit the practice field at 10am after a relatively leisurely start to the day.  Having worked on positional drills for the morning session, coach Jeff Scurran worked them hard in an afternoon scrimmage and also took the team out for an evening walkthrough.  At the time of writing at 7.30pm Tokyo time, the PR team is working away on lap tops, while the football team is under lights perfecting their game plan.

Brandon Cluff (Cesar Chavez) is emerging as a strong candidate for the starting quarterback job, while overall the team looked impressive in their first practice together.  Team Stars & Stripes has more size and perhaps even a touch more intensity than their 2008 counterparts so it is already intriguing to consider the outcome of the game next Saturday.  

The kicking game already looks strong. Female kicker Maile Labor was accurate and consistent, while punter Alex Wulfeck earned some oohs and aahs from the hangtime and distance he produced with almost every punt, even when going into the wind.

The weather was kind to the team today with warm sun and an occasional light breeze, though once the sun went down, the temperatures dropped.  More of the same is expected on Monday.

Breakfast and dinner were taken at the Samauri Cafe, where banging a gong (loudly in our team’s case) to convey that the food on offer met with your satisfaction has become a very popular pastime.  The food prices are certainly appealing with the subsidized meals not burning too much of a hole in organizer Patrick Steenberge’s pocket.

Lunch took the team to an American-style food court and mall on the base where Subway seemed to be the preferred healthy choice for most of us and instead of a Dollar Store, the group found a ‘100 Yen Store’, which when you do the monetary conversion… yes, you’ve guessed correctly.

Oh, before I forget, I promised out Equipment Manager Jose a mention for the fantastic work he does and must stress that he is the hardest working member of our traveling party (ok Jose, bring that jacket I’ve been asking for to room 1082 please).

I hear buses pulling up now, at 8pm, so that gives the team 12 hours before they hit the practice field again tomorrow.  They’ll get some sleep if they’re smart.

Photos – there should be some photos from the practices appearing on this blog soon.  Please check the ‘photos’ link on the right bar, or search ‘psteenberge’ on Flickr.com for Global Challenge Bowl photos.