As official start of spring is underway, Guilford’s spring teams are already in high gear. This time of year is devoted to sports such as lacrosse, track and field, softball, and baseball. Most fans are thinking about the fresh green grass, the clank of colliding lacrosse sticks on Armfield Athletic Center, the crack of the gun in track meets, and the seat they are going to get at McBane Field for the baseball game. Hibernal and autumnal sports such as basketball and football are put into the periphery of everyone’s mind as they anxiously await the warmth of summer.
But what happens in the offseason for Guilford’s football team? What goes on behind the scenes when the Quakers aren’t on the gridiron every Saturday?
In this particular offseason, Guilford football is in a different position than normal. The Quakers hired a new head coach, Chris Rusiewicz, in January to invigorate a program that did not win a game last fall and has just three victories in the past two years.
The lack of winning did not turn Rusiewicz away from Guilford, however. “I wanted to come to Guilford because of the community’s hospitality, the academic prestige of the college, and the program having the talent to win.”
Rusiewicz explained there is no set schedule for him in the offseason. This doesn’t mean he isn’t busy. There are morning staff meetings combined with responding to sporadic emails and phone calls throughout the day. He checks on players to make sure they are doing what they are supposed to, which includes attending player meetings and academic progress appointments. Rusiewicz also makes time for recruiting and reviews video of potential future Quakers.
As for coaching, Rusiewicz said that three items need to happen in order to be a successful head football coach this offseason.
One is recruiting, which means bringing in quality new students who can help the team right away and in the future. Two is evaluating, which means making sure the students keep up with their academic and conditioning programs as well as preparing for next season’s opponents. Emphasis is put on the academic program because at Guilford, they’re students first. The last element of a successful spring is mentoring and helping the guys on the team walk through life and grow into responsible men.
He is also preparing his team for the spring by instituting a strength and conditioning program and implementing the new offensive and defensive systems.
The strength and conditioning program works every muscle in the body. The exercises vary from squatting, cleaning, to the bench press. What makes Rusiewicz’s program different is the core work. The players have a regular regiment of core work three days a week, which helps them with balance.
“Our program is unique because we have our players hustling to every station to keep them constantly moving. This keeps their heart rate up and forces the players to keep up their endurance,” Rusiewicz said.
The number-one goal of the program is for the players to get bigger, stronger, and faster. This will allow the players to stay healthy throughout the grind of the season and stay away from injury.
From Rusiewicz’s explanation, the offensive system is similar to that of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Formations will have a lot of movement and shifting, allowing the same play to be run out of four or five different looks. “The offensive will be run oriented and we’ll try to control the clock and the game. However, we’ll have some passing as well in a west-coast type style,” Rusiewicz added.
All of this teaching and coaching takes time to resonate with players because of the new terminology and different style of play.
“As a coaching staff, we try to spend as much time as we can with our players,” said Rusiewicz. “Whether it’s watching film, strength and conditioning, or academics we are here to help and teach these students.”
This philosophy confirms Rusiewicz’s message to the team since day one, “full commitment and effort.” He explained that everyone, from staff to players, has to believe and trust the philosophy of the program as a collective group and individuals. “We are trying to instill in everyone the importance of the amount of time and effort that goes into a championship-caliber team. It takes commitment,” said Rusiewicz.
He also has instituted a mandatory academic mentoring program. “The mentoring program important to have because the program encourages players to do the right things such as talk to professors, raise their hand in class, and make sure they have time for schoolwork, because that’s why they’re here.”
Besides guiding the players on classroom behavior, the program features scheduled study session hours and sessions with Guilford’s Learning Commons if needed. It encourages excellent time management skills. Rusiewicz and other coaches follow up with teachers about assignment grades and class attendance.
The mentoring program also has stiff discipline. There are penalties for skipping class or not attending a workout. Some of the penalties include; extra running, making up a study session on a Saturday night, more drill work after practice, or even loss of game time.
“The goal of the mentoring program is to instill priorities about what is important, and academics is number one,” Rusiewicz said. “If a player needs to meet with an advisor to miss the start of practice, that’s okay. The program is designed so that we know where everyone is going to be at.”
While limited from full contact practice per NCAA rules, Rusiewicz and his staff are thrilled to get on the field. “In the spring, the players get to play and the coaches get to coach,” he said. “We get to do what we love while getting the process rolling by playing with pads and seeing what we can do on the field.”
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