4 minute read
CREATE CONTINUITY DURING A CRISIS
5 Ways to Create Continuity During a Crisis High school athletes have been met with months of uncertainty and change. From remote learning to social distancing, the way in which they learn has changed dramatically in the last six months. Coaches need to find ways to provide continuity in otherwise turbulent times.
BY DAN GUTTENPLAN, FNF COACHES EDITOR
New Mount Saint Joseph High (Baltimore, Md.) coach Dom Damico knows something about providing continuity for a high school football program. Prior to his hire at Mount Saint Joseph, he spent 24 years at McDlonough, leading the team to a 149-74 record during that stretch including one A Conference title and four B conference titles.
In fact, part of the reason he was hired at one of the top football programs in Baltimore is because of the way in which he values continuity.
“His passion for impacting young men, understanding of our Catholic Xaverian mission, and his relationships with our current players and coaches make him the right man for the job,” said Mount Saint Joseph athletic director Kraig Loovis. “I am confident that The Mount’s football program is in good hands.”
Mount Saint Joseph is coming off of a Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference championship. The Xaverian private school finished with a top-20 ranking in the nation from MaxPreps. It was the first MIAA championship for the team in 12 seasons along with the first outright championship for the school since 1949.
The program is returning a number of Baltimore Sun AllMetro players in quarterback Billy Atkins and wide receivers Don’t’e Thornton and Ausar Crawley.
“I know the talent level that is coming back from last year’s championship team has the ability to do that, so that’s going to be our main goal,” Damico said.
Damico is prioritizing continuity as he embarks on his new post with a perennial state championship contender. Here are five ways to provide continuity to a program.
THE HEADSET FOR ALL SEASONS And it costs a lot less than you think!
10 REASONS to put ProCom to work on your sideline this fall, winter or spring
� The most powerful coaching
headset on the market
� Our products work in any
stadium – guaranteed
� Six channels of operation � Lightweight yet rugged � No base station required � IP67 Water resistant � All coaches can switch among
all channels
� Three year warranty � Orders will ship within 24 hours � Interest-free payments spread
over three years
1Value loyalty as a staff. If you are hired to take over a program that has had some recent success, take a long look at the coaching staff in place and keep the good ones around. The players will see that you are prioritizing continuity, and they will be more apt to be loyal to your program. The assistant coaches will appreciate the job security and respond in kind by sticking around through difficult times.
2Don’t overhaul the scheme. In an offseason like this one, when most of the installation is taking place over Zoom meetings and other video conferencing platforms, it’s best to keep it simple. Getting the players to refresh on something they already know is much easier for players than asking them to learn an entirely new scheme.
3Prioritize experience. Look at the big picture. This may not be a year in which you’ll have time to get freshmen and sophomores up to speed fast enough to unseat returning starters. There will be fewer opportunities for practice and film study. Keep your veterans in starting roles unless it’s painfully obvious they should be unseated.
■ Mount Saint Joseph High (Md.)
coach Dom Damico
4Be a steady leader. We understand there are ups and downs -- perhaps more downs -- during a pandemic. Your players are looking to you for stable leadership. If you get bad news about your season or a player contracts the virus, don’t panic. Show your players leadership in the wake of the storm.
5Set short-term goals. Players are goal-driven. No, you can’t promise them their hard work will pay off with wins on Friday nights this fall. But you can set short term goals. Give them landmarks to hit in the weight room or on the track. Create competition in practice, even if the players are not in pads.
X12A ALL-IN-ONE
X12 BELT PACK
X12MR HELMET RECEIVER
All-In-One Headset - no belt pack!
