Winning! Not something we talk about in the Junior Wolverine Program. That is the mantra our system and our coaches believe, teach and follow. Our program success comes from teaching what is important in youth sports; fundamentals, effort, and the fun of the game. We will continue to rely on these principles at all levels as we teach your child. We are very confident it will lead to a positive outcome for all involved.
The Wolverine Jr program has come a long way in the 29 years I have been involved (24 with the Wolverines) in the league. I have watched the program grow from 85 kids and no teams in the playoffs to a high of 270 kids and all teams in the playoffs. We also see the the shift in the winds and how the game is changing and numbers are diminishing. The first step to improving the program was finding the right coaches who will commit to teaching the game the correct way; that we have accomplished. The next step is your help with community and making sure every athlete in our Bellevue community is knows about what we stand for. I believe the Wolverine Junior coaches from top to bottom are the best teachers of the game not only in the entire GEJFA league but all of youth football in our state. every parent would be remisse if they did not give there child a chance to be part of something this great.
People outside the Wolverine community say the reason for the high School success is because all our junior teams run the some offense as the high school. That’s not true. What all our coaches do is teach the simple fundamentals of football; tackling and blocking. After playing in our program the high school coaches have players who are fundamentally sound and ready for the next level of football -regardless of position played or the system that was run. We realize kids grown at and change at different rates. Somebody who is a linemen now can be a linebacker later. With the proper skill set it makes for a smoother transition to their next position.
Our coaches insist the boys give effort physically and mentally all times. We practice for 5-6 hours a week and expect 100% participation from the boys. Football more than any other sport demands effort; without effort it is very hard to teach and correct. Being there is not enough and the individual skill level of each player is unimportant. What matters is each player is significantly better in November than they were in August. Our coaches will give each player the tools they need; it’s up to the players to give the effort to show the improvement. Our practices are up-tempo and challenging at the same time. You can see the self-esteem rise and enjoyment our players have when they see their own successes.
In the modern world of Youth and high schools sports football has become the only sport that is not a year around sport. There is a limited time frame and opportunity when you play football. Part of the allure to playing Wolverine Junior football is all the kids on a team will start on the same day and will end on the same day. In addition all the teammates are friends and neighbors that live and go to school in the same community. There is no selection process, when you sign up you will play with your school classmates.
We hold our coaches to the highest of standards during practice and games. All the Wolverine Junior coaches are certified through USA football and have attended coaching clinics. We require certification for our coaches (not every system does). Our coaches also stand by the GEJFA and boys club philosophy of a Positive Place for Kids. The Wolverine system has not had any coach kicked out of a game and no coach in the last ten years has had to go be the GEJFA grievance committee for acts unbecoming a coach. We have no reason not to expect this to change. If for any reason you are concerned about your son and/or coach please do not hesitate to reach out to me or another board member to discuss.
To continue to improve our system at the end of the year we ask each family to fill out an anonymous coach’s evaluation. This is the best tool to help evaluate and teach our coaches. We have a special situation that we have so many people who want to coach and be a part of the program. Your evaluation will assist us in helping the coaches improve and finding the correct coaches.
Other system talk about how and why the Wolverine system win so much. We talk about how our players get better each year and the retention we have from of our players and coaches; that is our victory.
Thank you in advance for allowing your child to be part of program.
Sincerely,
Hugh Gladner
Coach’s coordinator