Marble Falls coach Ryan Priem learned much from Team Japan experience

JENNIFER FIERRO • STAFF WRITER

ARLINGTON — Football bridges cultures. So does Texas barbecue, but more on that later.

Marble Falls High School assistant football coach Ryan Priem, a volunteer with USA Football, learned both of these things as Team Japan’s offensive coordinator during the International Bowl at AT&T Stadium on Jan. 16-17. The event showcases top high school and middle school players from the United States, Canada, and Japan.

Even though the 16-year-old squad from the Far East lost 44-7 to Team USA on Jan. 16, the players and Priem benefited from the experience, including learning new plays, making new friends, and stepping onto the field in the home of the Dallas Cowboys.

“The experience was phenomenal,” Priem said. “As a coach, to step into a situation you’re unsure of, I was pleasantly surprised from the football IQ the Japanese had.”

He commended his players for their work ethic during practices Jan. 12-13, noting he didn’t have to correct them multiple times before they understood what needed to be done on each play.

“Their work ethic relates to their culture,” Priem said. “They practice very hard. There were situations where we had to tell them to calm down. Every rep was at maximum game speed. They played extremely well and were very respectful to the culture.”

Because of how quickly they caught on to the offense, Priem said he added to the playbook after two practices.

“We added plays I didn’t plan on running,” he said.

The players were given variations of several formations. After the second two-hour practice Jan. 12, Priem said he didn’t see a mistake. By the end of five practices Jan. 13, the entire game plan was installed.

“I started moving plays up to rep them more and longer,” he said. “I lost count of the number of plays we had. We had 17 passing concepts and ended up running a reverse.”

Priem was initially asked to be the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach but ended up overseeing the running backs and receivers, too.

While coaching the team was fun, it’s the friendships Priem developed that will stay with him. He met the chief executive officer of the X-League, formerly the Japan American Football Association, the governing body of the sport in the country. Rules are based on the NCAA, and the players Priem coached, mostly from Tokyo, have an inside track to playing in the league.

He especially enjoyed the conversations with the Japanese staff members and the other American coaches as they compared football in Japan, Texas, Georgia, and other states.

But one of his favorite memories is introducing the players to another Texas tradition: barbecue.

Priem said they went to a popular barbecue restaurant, where he explained to his Japanese friends the finer details of the Texas cuisine.

“It was neat to sit down and get to know each other,” he said.

The Japanese staff asked Priem if he would help coach one of their teams next year, which he agreed to do if Marble Falls Independent School District officials give their permission.

As a parting gift, Team Japan gave Priem one of its jerseys and some Japanese cookies, which his children are enjoying.

“At the end, every kid on the team wanted to hang out in the locker room and wanted to take pictures,” he said. “Even though we got beat, nobody quit.

“I’m in the back lobby of the hotel,” he added. “And one of the players grabbed me and said, ‘Coach, picture’ with him and his family. It’s stuff like that that I’ll never forget.”

jfierro@thepicayune.com