Ursuline players take on ‘challenge’

The program is designed to develop leadership skills and build team unity.

BY JOHN KOVACH

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

YOUNGSTOWN — The Ursuline High football team has been participating in an offseason program designed to improve players in a variety of ways, and make them better persons, students, citizens and athletes.

Called “The Irish Challenge,” the program has been in existence for three years and seeks “to develop accountability, competition, and team-building in the offseason,” said coach Dan Reardon.

“This program has placed more accountability on our seniors and helped them to develop into leaders while giving back to the community and team-building,” said Reardon, also emphasizing that players’ academic performances and muscular strength levels have improved.

“The team GPA has increased from a 2.55 three years ago to a 3.03. Five team members have at least a 4.0. Students can gain (or lose) points depending on their grades for their Irish Challenge team.”

And regarding training and conditioning, “The team has more members that have reached strength levels this season than in any previous season,” Reardon pointed out.

“The team is broken up into six smaller groups via a draft with captains and coaches assigned to each group,” explained Reardon. “Each player has the chance to earn points through a variety of measures: academics, offseason attendance, strength goals, participation in other sports, and community service.

“A running score is kept on both an individual and team basis.”

Besides the desire for personal self-improvement, players have other incentives that are built into the program.

“In addition, we reward and punish teams who are not performing,” said Reardon. “The first-place team at any given time may earn pizza after a workout or get out of running sprints. The team in last place is responsible to clean the weight room and locker room after workouts.”

Reardon said that academics is an integral part of the program.

“We run a study table program every day before workouts with tutoring available for student-athletes who are struggling in a class,” said Reardon, also noting that each player is challenged physically to develop.

“Each student-athlete is given strength and conditioning goals to attain in the offseason. If they accomplish the goals and/or reach pre-set levels, they earn bonus points.”

But for this particular offseason, Reardon said that community service by student-athletes has been emphasized a lot more within the program.

“The community service program is mandatory for each team during the challenge,” said Reardon. “ The goal is to show the athletes how important it is to give back to the community in a variety of ways. To date the various teams have done a considerable amount of service projects.”

Reardon said that players have collected $500 toward the funeral expenses of arson victims last winter, worked a day at the Rescue Mission Warehouse helping to move and organize items for delivery, performed spring clean-up and yard work at the Ursuline Mother House, did clean-up at the Beatitude House and were food servers at the Rescue Mission.

Reardon said the program also includes social and athletic functions for the student-athletes.

“We have had team nights at girls basketball games, bowling competitions, competed in 5K runs at St. Rose and Immaculate Heart of Mary, competed in lifting competitions, and run youth camps,” said Reardon.

kovach@vindy.com