“Bryce was all about it, and then he kind of took it from there as far as organizing guys, getting there, and things like that, but I just was able to kind of take care of the things once they got there,” Thielen shared. “But, Bryce obviously is a great leader and was willing to kind of set up everything, which is not an easy job, trying to get all those guys on the same page, but it worked out great.”
The group started each day at the same gym Thielen has used for offseason training every year of his career. Then they headed down the road to Woodbury High School, where Thielen’s wife, Caitlin, won several soccer state championships.
“So hopefully we rub some of that championship mentality on the group,” Thielen laughed.
The primary purpose of offseason retreats like this one, though, is, of course, to lay a foundation in a unit that can be built upon during training camp and carry over into the season. Young and the receivers weren’t necessarily putting in new plays or implementing entirely different schemes than what was already done in Charlotte.
It was about timing, chemistry, and coaxing guys into a lake for the first time.