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Tri-Village
announced Tuesday in a press release that former Arcanum
and Versailles head football coach Jason
Schondelmyer will be the first
ever football coach at Tri-Village. Photo by Chuck Runner,
tigerballonline.net
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Tri-Village announces new head football
coach
By George Starks
New Madison- When it comes to coaching football, Jason Schondelmyer
knows his way around the field and on the sidelines.
After recently announcing that Tri-Village will be starting a football
program in September, Tri-Village athletic director, Brad Gray,
announced Tuesday that Schondelmyer has been named as the very first
head coach at Tri-Village.
“I am writing to inform all of you that it is with great pleasure that
I announce that Tri-Village approved our head football coach at last
evening's (Monday) Board of Education meeting,” said Gray in a press
release. “Jason Schondelmyer will be coming to Tri-Village as its
first ever head football coach. Coach Schondelmyer comes to
Tri-Village from Kettering Alter High School, where he served as an
assistant coach on the Division 4 State Runner-Up team from this past
season. He has also served as an assistant coach at the
University of Dayton and held head coaching jobs at Arcanum High
School, Versailles High School, and Twin Valley South High
School. We feel as though Coach Schondelmyer is the perfect fit
to lead our football program as we embark upon the process of becoming
an OHSAA and Cross County Conference varsity football program.”
Over the years, Schondelmyer has known success. While at Arcanum, he
led the Trojans to many successful seasons and left there with a 50-23
mark in his seven years there.
During that time he put the Trojans in the post season twice (2002 and
2005).
He took over a very successful program at Versailles but was following
behind a legend in Al Hetrick. Hetrick served as the head football
coach at Versailles for 38 seasons.
“Our school will be having a "Meet the Coach Night" this coming
Thursday, February 26th, at 7:00PM in the high school gymnasium, Gray
added. “Coach Schondelmyer will be present to meet the members of our
community as well as members of the media for the first time as the
head coach of Tri-Village football. I am inviting all of you to
attend on Thursday as Coach Schondelmyer will speak publicly about
being named the coach of our football program.”
In an exclusive CNO interview, Schgondelmyer spoke of his upcoming
position.
"I'm excited about this," said Schondelmyer. "I'm building a program
from the ground level. This is a grass roots program but when I got the
call, I really wasn't too sure about taking over a program that was
starting with nothing. We have no field other than what our youth
program has used for years. There's no lights, no bleachers, no
footballs, no locker room, press box...nothing. I talked with a buddy
of mine at Anna, the head coach, Brian Rioch. He gave me some good
advice and I talked with a few of the other guys and I thought this was
something really neat. So I'm really excited about this."
When you’re starting a new program, everything falls on your shoulders.
Schondelmyer reflected on the word...first.
"This is a deal where everything is a first," said Schondelmyer.
"You're the first head coach in school history. The first game under
the lights, the first uniforms, football...everything is the first and
that make it even more exciting."
When Josh Sagester announced football will be coming to Patriot Nation,
the Superintendent received a standing ovation.
Shondelmyer spoke of that and the importance of the support of the
community.
"This is a school system full of people in the community that loves
their athletics," said the new head coach. "They want to be successful
and they work hard and that's something that I've always believed in
was hard work and dedication. So after giving it some thought, I was
happy about the opportunity."
Now, it’s all about getting the word out.
"We need to raise the money to get things done," Schondelmyer pointed
out. "We need to get local businesses on board and try to get people to
donate money and help get us going because we need the teaching tool
and things that will help us grow and do things the right way. The big
thing is to raise the money and get things going."
So where does a veteran coach start to build a new program?
"I'm a firm believer in developing a firm repore," said Schondelmyer.
"I have to get a good working relationship with the community leaders
and the community itself. It's all about the kids though. You win with
people and the kids, but you have to take it one chapter at a time."
Schondelmyer went on to point out a few other things and it started
with a three-step process.
"This is a big journey and the first thing we need to do is get to know
each other, and then we have to start working with each other. Once we
do this, then we need to trust each other. Once we do these three
things, then the rest will take care of itself. How quickly we do it
remains to be seen, but I can tell you that we will have a football
team starting with a junior varsity and middle school schedule this
year. We will be fully padded, but we will be playing with no lights in
the beginning of the program. Our junior varsity will be playing on
Saturday obviously, but we will be ready and our kids will be coached
and will be coached well and we will be prepared to play football."
Schondelmyer said he is in the process of getting a coaching staff
together and went on to say that he hopes to have it together in a
couple of weeks.
"I hope to have the kids in the weight room soon," said Schondelmyer.
"Right now, we are about two months behind in our training. Hopefully,
we can start that next week. I will meet with the kids soon and we will
get things together."
Schondelmyer said he looks to have around 72 kids in the program this
year with grades 6-10.
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