Late announcement with 25% of the freshman football season remaining, but this year, I am splitting time between varsity and freshman football teams for Calvert Hall College High School. My Varsity Head Football Coach asked me to fill a vacancy late in the summer and I stepped up to the plate. I am the Freshman Offensive Coordinator and Defensive Backs Coach. I have always coached on the field on varsity since day one of my coaching career many years ago and this is my first experience with a freshman football team.
This freshman football season is one of the most fun experiences I have ever had coaching on the gridiron and I am sad that it is almost over. We play up a level on JV against squads carrying sophomores and juniors because there is only one other true freshman football team in the region due to the precipitous drop in football enrollment in Maryland. You can imagine how that turns out on the scoreboard.
However, if you are intentional about coaching athletes in sport and life far beyond the field and have clear vision, priority, and goals to that end, you can still have a very successful season. As a coordinator on the freshman level, I have been able to successfully implement many ideas I have for character development, Bible studies, and faith formation at a Catholic school for football players at a program-wide level that I would not have otherwise been able to implement on my own as one of many position coaches on varsity. I will share some of these ideas and teaching strategies over time. It has been very rewarding to see my athletes gain a deeper understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through the game of football and I too have grown on this journey with them.
Lest anyone wonder, I do know a little bit of X’s and O’s as well and I play to win. [Understatement of the year.]
For assistant coaches of any sport, if you are very ambitious about coaching the culture and character of your program, elevating the foundation, exerting more influence, and preparing yourself to get a Head Varsity Coaching job elsewhere in the future, I recommend taking on additional responsibilities with the under squad. You can still be a varsity coach on Friday nights if you have unique skills to offer on game day.
Here is our team photo from our preseason scrimmage. That Offensive Coordinator / Defensive Backs Coach looks like he lifts heavy weight!
