Vision and Identity

Matthew Polding

I believe coaches are here to serve the players by helping them become the best men they can be. The core value of my coaching philosophy is "Character" and that is exactly what type of team we will have. I will prepare our players to be men both on and off the field. I believe in meeting the players where they are at in their lives and helping them to succeed in all aspects of life and our team will reflect that philosophy. I have experience both as a player and coach and believe that allows me the opportunity to see both sides of the field. I have worked with players of all skill levels and many different backgrounds and I believe I can bring a unique set of skills that allows me to reach players wherever they are at. I believe in matching our scheme to our players and the skills that we have available and we will be able to adjust to match those skill sets. I believe in working hard to achieve our goals and to win on the field and in life. I have experience working with a variety of positions which will allow me to be useful and provide insight to my fellow coaches that will allow us to be a cohesive unit while achieving our collective goals. I appreciate the opportunity and hope to talk to you soon to expand on specific questions you may have.

Anthony Nevrly

Football Program Identity
Mission Statement.
The Ultimate goal of the Mustang football program is to have the type of program the entire student body and community can be proud of, both on and off the field. The Mustangs will be committed to the team first, and will look to our seniors for leadership. Coaches will teach good work habits, leadership skills, teamwork, commitment, and strive to reach our highest potential. Mustang players will "Practice like Champions." Our program will be known on the field for our preparation, attention to detail, effort, and our championship work habits. The adversity and lessons we experience in practice and matches will prepare us for life outside of football. Above all else, our student/athletes will be persons of character.

Vision for the "Mustang" Football Program
Our football program will be respected as one of the best programs in the state.
Winning. Winning in our program will be a by-product of doing things the right way. Anyone associated with the program will understand that there are no short cuts in life or in football. We will continue to teach our players to do things the right way from every standpoint and that there is no substitute for hard work. The coaches and I will teach what it means to live your life the right way as a young man or woman, the right way to be a student, the right way to be a teammate, the right way to be a leader, and the right way to be a member of the Downers South football program. I am sure future players and members of the program will fall short at times, but it is my job as the head coach to help pick up the pieces and guide these players back to doing things the right way.
I believe character should be an important part of any winning philosophy. Character should be taught and expected from each member of the football program. Moreover, as coaches we can build character in our athletes at all times by being great examples in the way we coach, teach, and interact with our players. Being an example is not enough; we must explicitly teach what it means to have character. All of the head coaches that I have learned from expected character out of their athletes at all times, both in and out of season, and I plan on doing the same. After all, how can I expect a player to make the right decision in life, to make the right play in a pressure situation, or come through for the program if he has poor character? I believe regardless of the talent level, any player with character can be trusted to come through for the team or the program. Building character will be beneficial in developing a winning football program but it will also be valuable in the player's life.
Sportsmanship. Making character an important core of the football program directly correlates to sportsmanship. As we teach character to our players, sportsmanship should naturally come from those lessons. I believe that our team's sportsmanship is a direct reflection of the head coach and coaching staff. Consequently, it is vital we teach our players to continue to play the game hard, to the whistle, and still show great respect for our opponent. Regardless of our opponent's record and ability, the coaches will prepare our players in practice and teach them that we need to respect all opposing teams. Our players will prepare daily for each opponent, focusing on the strengths of that team and what it will take for us to be successful on the field. Our goal as a program should be to keep our opponent faceless and nameless regardless of their talent level, approaching every game as chance to go 1 — 0.
Because building character and teaching sportsmanship are so important to me, players who fail to show true sportsmanship during the game will be pulled and dealt with immediately regardless of the situation. However, this should not be a surprise to them as all my players will have an understanding of sportsmanship expectations for themselves. Moreover, all players will be expected to accept both victory and defeat with class and humility as sportsmanship has been and will continue to be an important part of the Mustang football program.
Discipline. Discipline is an important part of any sports program. All players will know they are accountable for their actions both in and out of season. It is important players and coaches realize that being a disciplined team is best for our program as a whole. I believe all players should be aware that there will be consequences for any actions that are detrimental to the team. Players will have to come to an understanding that the team is bigger than any individual player, and thus, players who make decisions that place themselves above the team will face consequences for those behaviors.
My vision is that players and coaches will understand the importance of a "team-first " attitude and what it means to be a Mustang Football player, meaning they will know what it takes to be a good teammate, have a selflessness attitude, and will be willing to sacrifice for each other. If those principles and attitudes are in place, disciplining players should not be something we spend a lot of time and energy on.