By Eric Pearson
Word is out; Northview’s new head football coach is Trip Gallery. Coach Gallery has been a teacher at Northview for years and has soon to be freshman kids in the district. He says that he was very excited to take the position and “inject the program with as many positives” as he could. Along with a new head coach are several expected changes within the football program and Northview athletics as a whole. These include alterations to the “EL99” class, more involvement from female athletes and athletes from different sports, as well as changes to the summer expectation of football players.
Athletic Director Jerry Klekotka discussed the announcement of the new head coach along with remarks about his objectives for Northview. He stated that his main goals were to have “more teachers coaching,” for athletes to be “more physical and more athletic,” and to “increase participation” for football as well as all programs. However, he also said that “it’s not reinventing the wheel” and expressed no desire to completely revamp athletics at the high school. Instead, he said that players will notice “tweaks” to the systems already in place and left discretion to Coach Gallery as to what those would be.
“EL99” is the course code and common shorthand for weight training and leadership development. There are now efforts to make sure the course isn’t football dominated. Already there has been a meeting for female athletes encouraging them to join the class next year and Coach Antrim has come on board as a Co-instructor with Coach Gallery.
In the football program specifically, summer involvement is expected to have “less commitment with more intensity,” Klekotka said. This will probably mean an end to the 6:30 a.m. lifting of the past. Coach Gallery is also looking to involve athletes from more sports and have “more head coaches get involved” in summer training programs.
When looking to the future, Coach Gallery said that he wanted to add as much good to the program as he could and that he hopes to give all players, “a positive experience with the game.” He was confident that by elevating energy with players that the winning will, “take care of itself.” In totality, Coach Gallery said he was excited to join the staff and get involved with players. He concluded that “It’s gonna be about we and us and Northview.”
Gallery is replacing the former head coach Max Kerry, who held the respect of both his players and fellow Northview staff. When asked of his predecessor Coach Gallery said, “I have nothing but respect for Coach Kerry. He’s a good man. He worked hard and cares about kids.” Kerry will continue to be a beloved member of the Northview community and a teacher in the athletic department.
Photo courtesy of espnmediazone.com
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