CRESTVIEW — Creating a team’s identity is a recurring theme in North Okaloosa football, and Shoal River Middle School’s team is no exception.
Coach Ryan Gillis said he doesn’t look backward between seasons.
“We’re a new team. Last year’s team, we were really fortunate, but, guess what? That will equate to zero wins this year,” he said.
Gillis starts every season with new players — who have never competed at the Pee Wee or Pop Warner level — by laying down mental ground work.
“We start with ‘This is a football,’” Gillis said. “This is my 18th year of coaching football, and I’ve learned over the years that you don’t assume that they know anything.”
This year the Mustangs must take a few steps back with the influx of new players.
Even with coaching experience spanning two decades, Gillis always learns something new from his peers, he said.
“I try not to have an ego when it comes to coaching,” Gillis said. “I will use anything from anybody.”
Gillis believes that at the middle school level, with teaching fundamentals, a player’s mistakes can be traced back to what he was taught.
“It’s hard to get onto a kid if you haven’t taught them how to block and they’re not blocking,” he said.
However, mental mistakes and running too many plays can make or break a middle school team.
Our philosophy is, don’t bend, don’t break,” Gillis said. “I’ve told every team I’ve coached that if you can make a middle school team run 10 plays before they score, you’re going to win every time.”
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Mustangs regroup for new season