Former player now coaching middle school team

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Keera Frye in Features, Sports // 0 Comments

Andrew Polakovsky, 18, thought that he had said goodbye to football on Oct. 30, 2015 after playing his last game under the lights as a Southmoreland Scottie. But he was wrong.

On Sept. 14, Polakovsky found himself back on Russ Grimm field for a football game, but this time was different. He wasn’t wearing a jersey; he was wearing a polo. He wasn’t part of the play; he was calling the play. He wasn’t a player. He was a coach.

Southmoreland’s head coach Mark Adams called Polakovsky to offer him a coaching opportunity with Southmoreland’s middle school football team. It was an offer that Polakovsky sais he “couldn’t turn down.”

During his senior year, Polakovsky helped coach the Division 1 Southmoreland Midget Football team and was excited to be able to coach that same group of boys as they transitioned to the next level.

“It’s really eye opening to see these boys transition and grow both as players and as young men,” said Polakovsky. “I see myself in them a lot, and I want to be able to pass on what I’ve learned from all of my great coaches throughout the years.”

One of those “great coaches,” Todd Bunner, stood on the sidelines with Polakovsky this season. Polakovsky looked up to coach Bunner when he was Polakovsky’s coach in middle school and didn’t want to let him down as they coached together. Mr. Bunner believes that Polakovsky has contributed a lot to the team by coaching this season and is a great role model for the players.

“I’m extremely proud of Andrew and what he’s doing,” said Mr. Bunner. “He’s a hard worker, and I get to watch that translate into his coaching as he’s teaching these players how to be hard workers.”

Polakovsky reflected on his favorite memory as a coach being not at a game or even at a practice, but after practice.

Two 7th grade players, Anthony Govern and Isaac Trout, stayed after practice one day to spend more time working at the quarterback position. When Polakovsky saw them doing passing drills independently, he stayed to help them. Polakovsky described the two players’ commitment as “impressive” and finds it extremely rewarding to think that he has had any part in encouraging or inspiring members of the team.

“I couldn’t be happier with my decision to start coaching,” said Polakovsky. “I think that if there is even one kid here that I can influence, then I’ve done my job. But what I do for this team is nothing compared to what they’re doing for me.”