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Harbaugh: Team Will Travel To Florida For Spring Break, Beginning Of Practice

By Ashley Scoby
@AshleyScoby

Michigan winters are fairly miserable, and that icy climate can sometimes melt into spring, too.

But Michigan head football coach Jim Harbaugh is helping his whole team escape from the potential snow and freezing temperatures by taking them to Florida for the beginning of spring practice. When they'll start spring practice will coincide with the university's spring break.

Michigan will practice four times down south before returning to Ann Arbor. But the team will also have a chance to do spring break-type activities, too.

"I already have some plans," Harbaugh said. "We're gonna have swim meets. We're gonna have putt-putt golf. We're gonna have football meetings. We're gonna have practice. I think it gives the chance to win on a lot of different levels."

Part of the reason behind Harbaugh's spring plans is his desire to put all his players on an equal playing field.

"Everybody's gonna get a spring break," he said. "There's no youngster that can't afford to fly somewhere who won't be able to enjoy a spring break. What better way to be doing that than to be playing football?"

And academics also played a role, according to Harbaugh. The schedule that will allow the team to jet off to Florida will allow the players more flexibility when it comes to final exams.

"The other thing it's gonna allow us to do – by practicing during our spring break we'll have both weeks of finals – winter finals are going to be no football," Harbaugh said. "They'll be discretionary weeks. Our guys can focus and concentrate on the finals."

Letting loose, before the grind of spring football and offseason workouts begins, will be key, according to Harbaugh.

"We'll be in Florida, we'll go to the beach," he said. "It'll be a good time for our team to connect and be together."

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