Warriors open training camp

YAKIMA, Wash. — Training camp for the Yakima Valley Warriors opened Tuesday, and owner Michael Mink won’t be wasting any time getting his team together.

The team has three practices this week, starting with Tuesday night’s workout, after which Mink plans to essentially set the roster.

“These will be more of evaluation camps, so that we’ll go into Saturday with more off a roster,” Mink said. “We have to evaluate these players a little further and see what holes we have and what we still need to look for.”

That’s been an ongoing process, with Mink saying earlier Tuesday that he’s always on the lookout for talent.

“We’ve made some improvements in just the last three, four days, as some guys came available,” he said. “We’ve got a good group of guys, but we’ll continue to make some adjustments.”

Mink’s early evaluation during Tuesday’s workout, which featured roughly two dozen players, was that the team was “still a few guys away,” but he was pleased with the players’ effort.

“I think these guys are a character group. They’ve got a lot of character,” he said. “Even though we’re just getting started, these guys are pulling for each other. There’s a lot of enthusiasm.”

As for the personnel, Mink said there are still a “couple of puzzle pieces we need to get,” specifically looking for another offensive lineman and another skill guy.

“But you never know. We may have someone who’s already here step up.”

This week’s practices will stress conditioning and learning the nuances of the indoor game. The team won’t start practicing with helmets until next week, before going to full pads for the final 1 1/2 weeks before the March 20 season opener at the Wenatchee Valley Venom.

“There’s no sense putting them in pads right now,” Mink said, adding that despite the lack of contact practices before making cuts, he’s confident they’ll have a strong group moving forward.

Teams can carry up to 30 players on their roster during the season, although Mink said he plans to keep about 25. Only 20 players can be active for each game.

Yakima Valley will play its first two games on the road, following its opener by traveling to Wasilla, Alaska, for a March 27 game, before its home opener April 3 against Wenatchee Valley. The Warriors are also at home the following Saturday, hosting San Jose.