Syracuse (WSYR-TV) – The school year won’t begin for more than two weeks, but Central New York’s sports fields are already busy.

The first team to hit the field at Nottingham High School in Syracuse was the football team.

Coach Nick Patterson’s Bulldogs team began practice at 6 a.m.

Patterson said that he’s looking forward to the season – but that coaching continues to be a challenge as they learn about the nature of injuries.

“Every kid in the district is required to take a concussion test online. They take the concussion test online, where they’re tutored and they see what’s going on. They do little tutorial and they see videos and things like that. And just proper coaching – you coach them in how to tackle, how to keep your head up and do different things, so that’s what we’re doing here at Nottingham,” Patterson said.

He says despite the early practice time, every player seems excited about the upcoming season.