Tag: writing

Celebrating the Season: Showcasing Achievement and the Behaviors That Build Champions

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This weekend, we will gather the 2025 Hilltopper Football Team one final time for our annual banquet—a moment to reflect, to honor, and to celebrate the season we built together. After watching our highlight video, sharing a meal, awarding varsity letters, acknowledging post-season honors, and recognizing the contributions of our seniors, we conclude the evening with our Superlative Awards.

These awards matter for reasons that go far beyond individual achievement. Each one reinforces a standard of behavior we want carried forward. They illuminate the habits, mindsets, and daily choices that shape a championship culture, offering returning players a clear path to follow.

Our Most Improved Player embodies our belief that games are not won on weekends in the fall. His relentless commitment to self-improvement—through the off-season and in every practice—was matched by his energy, effort, and enthusiasm. His growth elevated both himself and the team.

The Scout Team Player of the Year represents the purest form of selflessness. Operating in near anonymity, he approaches each day with a singular mission: to push his teammates to be better prepared for game day. His contribution is measured not in headlines, but in the competitive edge he gives everyone around him.

In a program full of heroes—where many players earn media attention and postseason accolades—the Unsung Hero stands apart. He does everything asked of him, without expectation of praise, and in doing so becomes indispensable to the team’s success.

Our Most Valuable Player is not simply the one who scores the most points or fills the stat sheet. He is the player whose presence most profoundly shaped our season—as a performer, as a leader, and as a standard-bearer for what it means to be a Hilltopper.

These awards remind us that success is built on behaviors worth repeating. By elevating those examples, we offer every returning player a roadmap for what comes next.

Time Well Spent

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It takes a lot of hours over multiple days to meet 1-on-1 with every player on a 50-man roster, but it is time well spent and an exercise I enjoy every year.  

This year’s meetings were held in our newly designed athletics conference room.  I sat in one of four chairs surrounding a 4-foot round table.  Interestingly, after several meetings, I noticed that more veteran players sat in a chair closest to me while younger players sat across the table in the chair furthest from me.  It was a stark reminder of how uncomfortable a teenager can be in that type of setting with an adult.  

Before the meetings, I messaged all players to be prepared to discuss their reflections on the season, their role on the team, how they were treated on the team by teammates and coaches, their plans for the off-season, their plans for next year, and finally, I asked them to be prepared for what I might say about them.  

Providing them with an outline of how the meeting would go, I hope to better prepare them as well as allow us to be efficient with our time.  Regardless of what was said during the meeting, the goal is to end every meeting on a positive and motivating note, reinforcing my belief in their potential so that they feel encouraged to work hard in the offseason and look forward to returning to the team for Spring Ball.

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!  

Until the Last Whistle — And Beyond

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“Let the sun go down on you like King Harold at the battle of Hastings — fighting gloriously. Maybe a loser but what a loser.”

We set a goal to go 1–0 every week this season—and we did that in nine of our eleven contests. Each time we stepped onto the field, our players and staff fought the warrior’s fight, shoulder to shoulder, until the final whistle. The state championship trophy wasn’t ours to raise this year, but effort, unity, and heart were never in question.

As we’ve often said throughout these conversations, football mirrors life. Adversity will always find us. What matters is how we meet it—and how we rise the next morning. The ending wasn’t the one we imagined, but the opponent was worthy and the battle was real. Over four decades of playing and coaching this game, I’ve seen some seasons end with cheers and confetti and others end in quiet reflection—but in both cases, the sun still rises. And with each sunrise comes a new responsibility, a new chance to grow, lead, and serve.

This coming weekend, five of our seniors will wear the green helmet with the white STJ one final time as they represent St. Johnsbury Academy in the Vermont North vs. South All-Star Game at Norwich University. Kickoff is Sunday at 12:30. When the clock runs out, they’ll take that helmet off for the last time—but the lessons learned, the brotherhood formed, and the growth they’ve earned will travel with them wherever they go.

It may be the close of a chapter, but it is far from the end of the men this game helped shape. I hope the bonds and friendships formed this season last for decades like the ones I formed more than 40 years ago.

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!

Setting A Personal Example

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It was a great weekend for football in St Johnsbury, VT.  The Hilltoppers advanced to the state semifinals, and our youth team captured a state championship for the second year in a row.  The weekend was made even better when the head of our youth program shared the following letter she received:

My son plays QB & LB for BYSA.  I just wanted to reach out to express my gratitude and ask if you could please pass along a message to the families of players 59 and 50.  At a few different points during the game, both of these boys came up to my son, gave him a hug and told him he was a great athlete and to keep fighting.  Their kindness and sportsmanship truly meant so much to him and to me as well. Please let them know how much we both appreciated their encouragement.  Congratulations on your win and thank you again for raising such remarkable young men.  

Football may at times be a violent sport, filled with hard hits and fierce competition, but being a good sport is still essential. Players must learn to compete intensely while keeping control and showing integrity. Good sportsmanship turns a rough game into a test of character as much as skill.

I am proud of all of our youth coaches, many of whom played for us, and all of the players, but especially these two young men who I watched grow up over the past dozen years as they are the sons of two of our coaches.  We look forward to welcoming them and their teammates into our Hilltopper football family in 2026.

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!

Keep The Main Thing, The Main Thing!

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This weekend marks the 120th playing of “The Game” — St. Johnsbury Academy versus Lyndon Institute. The rivalry dates back to the fall of 1894, making it one of the oldest high school football rivalries in the nation. In 2013, USA Today conducted a national poll to determine the greatest high school football rivalry in America. The Game swept the Vermont, New England, and Eastern regions before finishing fourth in the nation overall.

The week leading up to The Game is Spirit Week — a celebration that transforms the entire school. Teachers and students dress according to daily themes, classes decorate hallways, floats are built for the parade, pep-chapel skits bring energy to the auditorium, and the bell towers in each town are illuminated with school colors. This year, for the first time in history, The Game will be played under the lights on Saturday night. Add to that the fact that we’re competing for the #2 or #3 seed in the state tournament, and it’s easy to see how distractions can multiply.

I have a former high school teammate, lifelong friend, and retired Marine LtCol who often reminds me that when life pulls in too many directions: “Focus on the mission.”

From a leadership perspective, personal example matters. As coaches, we have to model the focus and discipline we expect from our players. Our actions should reflect the same attention and composure we ask of them. We reinforce that focus in the words that follow our actions — and by publicly recognizing those student-athletes who lead by example. And when necessary, in quieter moments, we take time to counsel those who drift from the mission and our collective goals.

In football, academics, or in life, remember to keep the main thing, the main thing!

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!

Three Girls, One Camp, Infinite Possibilities

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We recently hosted our annual Hilltopper Youth Football Camp. In looking through the camp photos, the one shared in this blog jumped out at me—not only because of the 6’3″, 220-pound 8th grader who has the athleticism to make this spectacular one-handed catch, but because of the girl in the foreground. She is one of three girls who attended our camp.

These brave young ladies participating in a traditionally male-dominated sport are breaking the cycle of gender norms and showing other kids that football truly is for everyone. Like boys have experienced for decades, girls who play football gain confidence, discipline, and a sense of belonging—qualities that can positively impact them for the rest of their lives.

With the backing of the NFL and Nike, flag football is growing rapidly and is now sanctioned as a varsity sport for girls in several states. Some NAIA schools are now offering college football scholarships to women for flag football. In 2028, women’s flag football will make its debut in the Olympics!

I have often said that girls are the future of football because girls who love the game will become mothers who encourage their kids to play football. But maybe they are not just the future of football. Maybe they are already part of the present.

These three young ladies at our camp reminded me that the game we love is evolving, and that evolution includes opening doors that have been closed for far too long. When we teach fundamentals, teamwork, and perseverance, those lessons are universal, regardless of gender. The field (like life) is big enough for everyone who wants to compete, learn, and grow through the game of football.

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!

A Coach’s Voice; The Echo That Lasts A Lifetime

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While skiing the back bowls at Copper Mountain in Colorado a couple of years ago, I called out to one of my sons but heard another voice from the opposite direction respond, “Coach Alercio?” It was a former player from ten years prior who said he recognized my voice instantly.

That moment served as a powerful reminder that a coach’s voice truly leaves an imprint. A thoughtful coach uses his or her voice to lead, guide, and direct a student-athlete’s development. We must be careful to remember that a coach’s voice is a tool, not a weapon. As coaches, our voices can inspire or tear down. What you say in ten seconds can build a legacy or break a spirit. The power lies not just in what you say, but in how you say it.

I tell all my players, “If I hold you to a high standard, it’s because I believe in your potential.” I sincerely want to convey my confidence in their ability on the field and the character in their heart. I would encourage other coaches—or those in coaching, teaching, or mentoring roles—to let your voice become the inner voice they hear when facing fear, doubt, or adversity. I hope mine echoes in their minds now, and if I do it right, for the rest of their lives.

If I could truly wish for a legacy, I would hope that in some small way, the echoes of my voice and my words of encouragement find a way to become part of their inner compass going forward. I hear the voices of those who inspired me daily. Even on those occasions when a coach voiced his displeasure with my performance quite emphatically, I knew the sentiments expressed really meant, “I believe in you, and I know you can be better.”

This time of year, when our student-athletes are on the track, in the weight room, and on the field for OTAs instead of at the beach, the lake, or the river, your voice needs to be welcoming and encouraging while still maintaining high standards. If you want them to come and keep coming throughout the dog days of summer, those two hours need to be the best two hours of their day. Your voice sets that tone.

Let it echo beyond the field.

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!

A Few Thoughts on Independence Day

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As we celebrate our nation’s independence this 4th of July, there is much football coaches can learn from the Father of our Country.  How did George Washington take a rag-tag bunch of colonists and defeat the best-trained and equipped military in the world?  He did not do it by using the tactics and techniques he had learned during his time in the British Army.  He did not have the players to employ those offensive and defensive strategies.  He had to think outside the box.  He had to find a plan that fit his players.  

Realizing that his army was composed largely of untrained and under-equipped soldiers, Washington knew he could not match the British in a conventional war.   He utilized the Fabian strategy named after the Roman general Quintus Fabius Maximus; avoiding direct engagements whenever possible.  Instead of large-scale battles, Washington and his forces engaged in guerrilla tactics, such as ambushes and hit-and-run attacks.  When faced with overwhelming British forces or unfavorable conditions, Washington would strategically retreat rather than engage. 

This strategy had a psychological impact on both the British and American forces.  It was frustrating and demoralizing for the British to face constant harassment without achieving decisive victories.  For the Americans, it demonstrated Washington’s strategic acumen and leadership, boosting morale and confidence in their cause.  The strategy wore down the British resolve contributing to the victory of the American colonies. 

Just like George Washington almost 250 years ago, successful coaches must be adept at matching a strategy to fit their players by understanding their strengths, weaknesses, and potential, and then crafting a game plan that maximizes their chances of achieving success on the field. Tenants of warfare such as “know thy enemy, and know thy self” helped us win independence, and can just as likely help our teams win games.

I hope this holiday finds you with family, friends, and teammates who appreciate our freedom and all it took to earn it.  

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!