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Tri-Village announced Tuesday in a press release that former Arcanum and Versailles head football coach Jason
Schondelmyer will be the first ever football coach at Tri-Village. Photo by Chuck Runner, tigerballonline.net
 
Tri-Village announces new head football coach
By George Starks

New Madison- When it comes to coaching football, Jason Schondelmyer knows his way around the field and on the sidelines.

After recently announcing that Tri-Village will be starting a football program in September, Tri-Village athletic director, Brad Gray, announced Tuesday that Schondelmyer has been named as the very first head coach at Tri-Village.

“I am writing to inform all of you that it is with great pleasure that I announce that Tri-Village approved our head football coach at last evening's (Monday) Board of Education meeting,” said Gray in a press release.  “Jason Schondelmyer will be coming to Tri-Village as its first ever head football coach.  Coach Schondelmyer comes to Tri-Village from Kettering Alter High School, where he served as an assistant coach on the Division 4 State Runner-Up team from this past season.  He has also served as an assistant coach at the University of Dayton and held head coaching jobs at Arcanum High School, Versailles High School, and Twin Valley South High School.  We feel as though Coach Schondelmyer is the perfect fit to lead our football program as we embark upon the process of becoming an OHSAA and Cross County Conference varsity football program.”

Over the years, Schondelmyer has known success. While at Arcanum, he led the Trojans to many successful seasons and left there with a 50-23 mark in his seven years there.

During that time he put the Trojans in the post season twice (2002 and 2005).
He took over a very successful program at Versailles but was following behind a legend in Al Hetrick. Hetrick served as the head football coach at Versailles for 38 seasons.

“Our school will be having a "Meet the Coach Night" this coming Thursday, February 26th, at 7:00PM in the high school gymnasium, Gray added. “Coach Schondelmyer will be present to meet the members of our community as well as members of the media for the first time as the head coach of Tri-Village football.  I am inviting all of you to attend on Thursday as Coach Schondelmyer will speak publicly about being named the coach of our football program.”

In an exclusive CNO interview, Schgondelmyer spoke of his upcoming position.

"I'm excited about this," said Schondelmyer. "I'm building a program from the ground level. This is a grass roots program but when I got the call, I really wasn't too sure about taking over a program that was starting with nothing. We have no field other than what our youth program has used for years. There's no lights, no bleachers, no footballs, no locker room, press box...nothing. I talked with a buddy of mine at Anna, the head coach, Brian Rioch. He gave me some good advice and I talked with a few of the other guys and I thought this was something really neat. So I'm really excited about this."

When you’re starting a new program, everything falls on your shoulders.

Schondelmyer reflected on the word...first.

"This is a deal where everything is a first," said Schondelmyer. "You're the first head coach in school history. The first game under the lights, the first uniforms, football...everything is the first and that make it even more exciting."

When Josh Sagester announced football will be coming to Patriot Nation, the Superintendent received a standing ovation.

Shondelmyer spoke of that and the importance of the support of the community.

"This is a school system full of people in the community that loves their athletics," said the new head coach. "They want to be successful and they work hard and that's something that I've always believed in was hard work and dedication. So after giving it some thought, I was happy about the opportunity."

Now, it’s all about getting the word out.

"We need to raise the money to get things done," Schondelmyer pointed out. "We need to get local businesses on board and try to get people to donate money and help get us going because we need the teaching tool and things that will help us grow and do things the right way. The big thing is to raise the money and get things going."

So where does a veteran coach start to build a new program?

"I'm a firm believer in developing a firm repore," said Schondelmyer. "I have to get a good working relationship with the community leaders and the community itself. It's all about the kids though. You win with people and the kids, but you have to take it one chapter at a time."

Schondelmyer went on to point out a few other things and it started with a three-step process.

"This is a big journey and the first thing we need to do is get to know each other, and then we have to start working with each other. Once we do this, then we need to trust each other. Once we do these three things, then the rest will take care of itself. How quickly we do it remains to be seen, but I can tell you that we will have a football team starting with a junior varsity and middle school schedule this year. We will be fully padded, but we will be playing with no lights in the beginning of the program. Our junior varsity will be playing on Saturday obviously, but we will be ready and our kids will be coached and will be coached well and we will be prepared to play football."

Schondelmyer said he is in the process of getting a coaching staff together and went on to say that he hopes to have it together in a couple of weeks.

"I hope to have the kids in the weight room soon," said Schondelmyer. "Right now, we are about two months behind in our training. Hopefully, we can start that next week. I will meet with the kids soon and we will get things together."

Schondelmyer said he looks to have around 72 kids in the program this year with grades 6-10.


 
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