[Hoot Gibson]

When I lived in Indiana, I had the privilege of meeting one of the top football coaches in the state and to see first hand a few of the things that he did away from the field to build a strong football program. I was just wondering what, if any schools, do the same kind of things. The coach's name is Rick Wimmer, who has led two different teams to state titles. His most recent title was with Fishers High School in 2010, which won the 5A (then the state's largest class) state title over Lawrence Central. He also led Zionsville to a state title in 1987. When I met Coach Wimmer, he was in his first season of rebuilding Greenwood Community High School's football program.

These were the top two things that impressed me most about Coach Wimmer off the field:

1. Every week of the season, Coach Wimmer and his staff hosted a spaghetti dinner. A local business provided the pasta but every parent of a football player was asked to bring a side dish. Video clips of the previous week's game were played and awards for Offensive, Defensive, Scout Team Player of the Week, etc. were announced. Coach Wimmer would then give an overview of the upcoming opponent's strengths and weaknesses. Then he would introduce the offensive and defensive coordinators who would present a high-level scouting report and explain in general terms Greenwood's game plan.

I thought the weekly team dinners that brought players, coaches, and parents together were great. Wimmer kept tight control over the presentations and I don't recall any parent whining about his or her kid's lack of playing time. Also, having assistant coaches participate in the weekly presentations was great experience for them, IMO.

2. For any player who expressed an interest in playing football in college, regardless of their skill level, Wimmer and his staff began assembling videos for DVDs in their sophomore year. They also made sure that the players understood the college entrance tests that were required and steered them to resources to prepare for them. What set Wimmer apart in this area, IMO, is that he treated the most talented players the same as the guys at the end of the bench. If the player had an interest in playing D3 or NAIA, then Wimmer and his staff worked to make it possible, the same as they did to make it possible for a D1 prospect.

One of the players on that team, sophomore A. J. Edds, later played LB at Iowa and was a fourth round NFL pick. He was signed and later released a few months ago by New England.

The season that my son played for Coach Wimmer, Greenwood posted a very unexpected perfect record in the regular season.

What about your school's team, do they have pregame dinners? What do they do off the field to build team cohesion and community support?