Peddy will lead LBV Vipers

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B human beings. That’s what he wants them to remember.

“I’d like to think they’ll remember the good stuff, the fun times we had together,” he said. “I would like to think that I always told them that I want them to be decent human beings. Our team GPA increased almost an entire half point. … I hope that they realize that being a football player is a privilege, and I hope they use it to be better themselves in the future. … I ended every single practice by saying, ‘Take care of your grades; take care of your bodies. I love you guys.’ Hopefully, they understand that I do.”

Rienzi has accepted a position to teach at Lebanon High School and is looking forward to returning to coaching in the near future.

A NEW VIPER

Once a chapter ends, another begins, and the Vipers now have a new head football coach in Grant Peddy, whose training philosophy differs from Rienzi’s but still has the same goal in mind — to train good athletes and teach them, above all else, how to be great people.

“I want them to learn life lessons through football,” he said. “To me, there is no other sport that teaches life lessons better than football.”

Originally from Jackson,

Tennessee, Peddy’s background runs within the strength and conditioning world.

“Strength and conditioning is my background; football is my love,” he said. “I’ve taken the conditioning up a little bit. I believe you got to put the work in.”

Three things are at the base of what Peddy wishes to teach the boys prior to the start of the 202324 season: hard work, discipline and structure.

“We’ve got to be disciplined,” he said. “What I’ve seen here is they were ending games last year, but they weren’t disciplined. I hate to lose, but as long as our kids are competitive and they fight to the end — win or lose — I think that’s an improvement.”

Peddy was one of the coaches Rienzi was looking to hire as part of his coaching staff back in 2020, when Lake Buena Vista wasn’t yet open. However, life had another plans for him — taking him to Mount Dora High School, then Windermere High School, until he finally landed at Lake Buena Vista during the spring season.

“I’m excited for him, and I’m excited to see what he can do with his first round at being head coach,” Rienzi said. “He’s a great dude. He’s somebody that I know will be great for the kids at (Lake Buena Vista). He’s going to be a great influence on them. The kids already like him, because he was with us in the spring. I’m excited to see him pick up the ball and run with it.”

In addition to working on the depth of the team, Peddy is looking forward to motivating the boys to become leaders within the team — and to help them believe they have the ability to win and finish all the games — while allowing them to create memories that will last a lifetime.

“I believe in a starting (practice) time, I don’t believe in a finish time,” he said. “I will tell you when I think we are going to try to stop, but I’m not going to carry that because success never stops. … (I believe) in giving the kids an experience, something they can remember, because high school is once and everybody loves high school. I believe in giving the kids a great experience and in helping them grow and develop and be good people in the community.” want them to learn life lessons through football. To me, there is no other sport that teaches life lessons better than football.”