#WhyICoach - Intro

Coach Gilbert recently sent an email to the entire coaching staff expressing concern about the string of negative media being shared by major news outlets about our sport. I believe he wanted to make sure we are focused on why we do this, what we are trying to offer. The mission of our program is:

To make Westfield High School Football one of the most unbelievable experiences of a young person's life. 

That is our number one goal. Notice that we do not simply say "high school career," but "life." We believe in our sport. We believe in what it can mean for our student athletes both now and for the rest of their lives. We believe that the benefits greatly outweigh the risks. As such, we wanted to counter some of the negativity with our own personal, positive football experiences. We wanted to share the motivation and drive behind why we coach in the hopes of promoting a greater understanding among the members of our community. Yes, football is a dangerous sport, but it is also a very rewarding one. We pour so much of ourselves into this game because it has poured so much into us.

With that being said, I wanted to introduce a series of posts from us that I'll tag as "Why I Coach." Look for them to trickle in from the coaching staff in the upcoming weeks. If you are player, feel encouraged to share these with your parents to help explain why you want to be a part of the Rock Family. If you're a parent, hopefully these articles offer some insight into the kind of men your kids will be working with and learning from. Hopefully, they will help explain why so many of us love this sport and believe in what it has to offer for everyone involved. It is about so much more than wins and losses, and we want to make believers of all of you.