‘It’s like a job for kids’: High school football coaches reflect on offseason’s evolution, good and bad
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Butler football players and coach Eric Christy pose for a group photo during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley football player Jayden Price poses during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock football player Jacob Reich poses during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City football players have social media videos taken during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Freeport football players pose for a group shot during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Knoch Football Player Codi Mullen poses for a headshot during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Mars football players pose for a group shot during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Moniteau football players pose for a group shot during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Union/A-C Valley football player Owen Bish poses for a headshot during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Butler Eagle sports reporter Brendan Howe interviews Knoch football player Codi Mullen during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Union/A-C Valley Football players from left Hayden Armagost, Christian Salizzani and Owen Bish pose for a group photo during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
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Karns City football players Camden Ealy, left, Brennan Harmon, Coach Joe Sherwin and Aaron Walker pose for a group photo during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day at Butler High School on Friday, August 9. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (8/9/2024)
Larry Wendereusz can now admit, more than 30 years later, he was probably in the minority when it came to summer football practices.
“It was hot, full-throttle, very physical and brutal. I’m sure some guys were just looking forward to playing in games, but I was a little crazy and enjoyed it,” said Wendereusz, the current head coach at Slippery Rock High School who played running back and defensive back at Seneca Valley before graduating in 1992. At the time, the Raiders were coached by Terry Henry, who had previously mentored future Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly at East Brady High.
“I enjoyed the change of seasons,” said Wendereusz, who attended the Butler Eagle’s first Football Media Day, held Friday at Butler High School. “By that time of the summer the baseball leagues for kids that age were all done. Fall was coming and it was time for football.”
Heat Acclimatization Week just wrapped up for high school football teams in Pennsylvania. Adopted 11 years ago by the PIAA, it limits the number of hours during the week a team can practice and mandates no full-contact drills the entire week.
Seneca Valley coach Ron Butschle was an assistant coach at Sto-Rox and Canon-McMillan 1989-99.
“We held three-a-day practices that first week, two each day coming in full pads, then had our first scrimmage,” he said. “Then we’d do that all over again for the second week of practice before taking our foot off the gas in the week leading up to our first game.
“But back then, we didn’t come together as a team until August. Now, we start team workouts in June. Before we hit heat acclimatization week, we could probably play a game. It was when I returned to Seneca Valley as head coach (in 2017) when the change in offseason activity really jumped out at me.”
While coaches have had to adjust their schedules to accommodate the modern offseason of high school football, Butschle sees players being affected the most.
“It’s like a job for kids to play football these days, and that’s why so many don’t play another sport. Honestly, I don’t like it, but I’m guilty of sticking to this schedule because if you don't do it, you fall behind. I wish there was a happy medium.”
Wendereusz said he longs for the old-school way of doing things.
“Now the summers are filled with team workouts and 7-on-7 events for football players,” he said. “When I played, coaches would tell us to go play baseball or whatever, have a great summer and we’ll see you in August.
“We were allowed to be kids, and I wish today’s players had that opportunity.”
