Algonquin Tomahawks score new head football coach

290

By Sue Wambolt, Contributing Writer

Algonquin Tomahawks score new head football coachNorthborough/Southborough – As many Algonquin Regional High School (ARHS) sports fans know, the ARHS Tomahawks football team has not had a winning season since 1997. Starting in 2003, three different coaches have attempted the turnaround, but none have been successful. Justin McKay, the recently hired fourth coach, is hoping for that coveted winning season.

McKay played at Ashland High School followed by two years at Assumption College. Then, in the fall of 2004, he started coaching football at Wachusett Regional High School in Holden. He coached at both the freshmen and varsity levels, working his way up to offensive coordinator.

During the eight years that McKay coached at Wachusett, he attended three Super Bowl Championships. He worked mostly with offensive and defensive linemen, but over the years, he's coached almost every position.

McKay graduated from Assumption with a degree in History/Secondary Education. He has been teaching Social Studies and Criminal Justice at Wachusett for the last six years and this spring, he will complete his master's degree in Criminal Justice from Anna Maria College and will also become certified in physical education.

“My motivation to apply for the football job at ARHS was centered around wanting to provide a great experience through the game of football to the students of ARHS,” McKay said. “I know how much the game of football influences a student's life. From teaching them life lessons to providing lifelong memories and friendships, I wanted to provide the students of ARHS a positive experience that they would be able to learn and grow from. I see the football field as an extension of the classroom and know how much impact it can have on them.”

What happens off the field is important to McKay, who has a vision of developing fundamentally sound student athletes. This, he said, starts in the classroom and continues on the football field.

“As a team, we would love to foster a “family” type attitude that encompasses everything that we do,” McKay said. “We would like to develop an idea of constantly working together. And from there, we want to develop an identity of constantly working to be better at everything we do. Throughout the continued growth of ARHS football, we would like to develop an identity as a mentally and physically tough football team.”

Creating a winning team at ARHS is something that will be McKay's number one priority. According to him, the three most important qualities for a winning team are: (1) developing and continuing to foster a “team first/ family” mentality within everyone involved; (2) a constant focus on getting better and improving as individuals and as a team; (3) and developing an identity as a team that can inspire, excite and push players and coaches to excel.

McKay believes that the relationship between the varsity and the younger players is extremely important. He is hoping that the newly appointed junior varsity coach (previously the freshman head coach) Kyle Meath and freshman coach (ARHS graduate, previous freshman assistant coach) Scott Wambolt will work closely with him to help the teams “bond.”

He also believes that the football team can have a big impact on the community. “Giving back” helps players to understand where they came from and creates pride in where they live. He is hoping to get the team involved with one or two community service projects throughout the year.

“The message we want the players to understand is doing community service can be rewarding to you but also can be extremely rewarding to the community,” McKay said.

McKay has always been impressed with Algonquin and the towns of Northborough and Southborough. As an educator, he supports the commitment to excellence in the classroom.

“All together,” McKay said, ” I felt this opportunity [to coach] would be a great chance for me to be a positive influence on the students of ARHS.”

 

 

No posts to display