‘Baby steps’: Pioneers taking time to learn fundamentals

By ROB NUNLEY / Sports Editor for the Southern Standard

Warren County’s Brandon Sharpe hauls in a pass during workouts at Pioneer spring practice Monday afternoon. After one week, new coach Gerald Tidwell said the Pioneers are making slow, but steady, progress. (Rob Nunley photo)

Slow progress is, after all, still progress.

New WCHS coach Gerald Tidwell began his second week of spring drills with the Pioneer football team Monday, and said the team has slowly, but steadily, improved as he and his staff have tried to instill the basic skills he wants each player to have.

“Last week was a ‘get to know each other’ week,” Tidwell said Monday. “The first week — if we had to give a grade — we told them we’d give a B-minus. They worked hard, but they don’t know how to do things yet.

“You can’t expect to be a great team after three days, but we’re pleased with the effort. We’ve got a long way to go, and we’re trying to take baby steps.”

The Pioneers saw a bit of controlled contact on Monday, but have mainly been concerned with developing good practice habits and strong fundamental techniques.

“I’ve never gone so slowly with a team I’ve coached, but that doesn’t bother me,” Tidwell said. “And to be quite honest, I should’ve gone this slowly with every team I’ve coached.

“The kids keep asking, ‘when are we going to hit?’ They think we’re being too elementary. But I want these fundamental things we’re teaching them to be habit. I want them to wake up in the middle of the night and think about a phrase we’re telling them.

“So we’re taking our time on purpose. It’s not because they’re not able to move on, we just want to drill things into them and make sure their brains have it before we move on.”

A few members of the squad have already moved on, in a manner of speaking.

After beginning spring practice last Monday with over 50 athletes, that number had dwindled by approximately 10-12 players by this week’s first session — a fact that Tidwell said was somewhat frustrating.

“The kids keep coming in and saying they can’t handle it, or whatever reason they give,” he said. “But the rest of the kids that come out — the juniors and seniors especially — they’re hard-working kids. So I’m pleased with the way they’ve worked and the way they’ve picked it up for three days in a row.

“I also feel very confident that they’ve bought into what I’m telling them, and what they’re getting from coach Dryden and coach Turner, and all of our coaches.

“They see what’s going on. They understand that we’re going to be a different program. It’s not an option; we’re going to be one. And I feel very good about them buying into what we’re selling.”