“That is a lot of FISH, Coach”
I have heard the term “GOAT” used to refer to someone as the “Greatest Of All Time,” but it was not until this weekend, when I received a text from our former headmaster and now assistant coach, following our win last weekend, using the acronym FISH to describe things as First In School History.
The following is his list of FISH:
- Two father-son duos win a championship (Tom and John Lovett, Rich and Jake Alercio)
- Coach has won a championship with all three sons (Shane and Trey as players in 2017, Jake as a coach in 2020)
- Championship game win on Fairbanks Field. (Championship games are usually played on neutral sites)
- 7-on-7 Championship.
- Beating our rivals, Lyndon Institute, twice in a season.
In a pregame speech just prior to our first game this season I told our players, “This would be an historical season; remembered for generations to come.” They would always be known as “the team who played through the pandemic.” That much we knew… But I asked them, “how do you want to be remembered? What are you willing to commit to? What do you pledge to yourselves and your teammates? And how will you measure yourselves against your commitment and pledge?”
Throughout the season I saw young men, (and for the first time, young women) demonstrate their commitment to each other, to the team, and to becoming something worth more than an asterisk about a pandemic. As the 2020 Hilltopper story arced across the season, we encountered challenges and rebounded in the face of adversity. When circumstances tried to pull us apart, we saw cohesion and interdependence pull us back together… This past weekend, we wrote the final chapter of the story. This resilient team of Hilltoppers, led through these challenging times by our three seniors, will always be known as the 2020 Northeast Regional Champions.
Coach Rich Alercio is available to discuss coaching philosophy, X’s & O’s, or teach his O-Line “techniques in the trenches.” Contact Coach at richalercio@gmail.com and share http://www.olineskills.com with your colleagues and friends. Thanks for supporting this blog and joining our conversations, and as always, thanks for your time!
O Line Skills 