#5 – Now let’s shift to January and February – what are your winter goals as you head into spring practice?
Wrapping up the recruiting season and signing all of 2017 class is the #1 goal for January. There will still be some recruiting going on in February but primarily it will be about transitioning our players from off-season work to spring drills where fundamentals and scheme installation will be the focus. There will be a lot of competition for positions on the depth chart. We expect there to be some very interesting position battles.
#6 – Do you have goals, as well, for next summer in preparation for fall camp?
The summer will involve explosive speed and strength training for our players. The local ones will have the opportunity to get a really good jump on the season with this program. We will also be planning for the season and fall camp. We have plans for summer camps to get in touch with the upcoming classes as well as some youth camps to give back to the community. The recruiting board will be in a great shape and well developed by early summer so that going into the fall we are further ahead than we were last year.
#7 – How do you develop the leadership skills necessary with your current players in preparation for next August?
Leadership training is an ongoing process that you weave into several areas of the program. There is always leadership in every program or organization. The key is to cultivate and shape it so that it takes a positive direction. If positive dynamic leadership development is neglected, then the negative leadership will evolve and take root in your program and once it has taken root, it’s hard to weed out. The amount of time that our players spend together gives a great platform to instill leadership through study halls, training sessions and practices. We are very deliberate in leadership training through these mediums.
#8 – What has it been like communicating with your athletic director, the administration, media and boosters as you prepare for fall camp?
I have a great relationship with our AD, Steve Trachier and he has been very supportive with what we are building. Openly communicating with as many parties as possible is a challenge but very necessary. The administration, marketing and media have been great to work with and are excited about the program. The boosters and alumni are really excited as well and working with them has been tremendous. The key is to communicate the vision of the program and what its role in the wider community will look like. Our goal is to build a program that develops young men who will be great fathers, husbands, co-workers and leaders in their communities. This program will be something that we are all proud of and everybody has a role in helping to build it.