CdM coach Dan O’Shea (middle) is leading his squad during challenging times. (File photo: Fernando M. Donado, For OC Sports Zone)
Corona del Mar High School’s football team, like many throughout the county, is going through off-season practices and conditioning with some limitations.
But Sea Kings’ Coach Dan O’Shea isn’t complaining, even though the Sea Kings and other teams aren’t able to use a football during drills because of safety precautions due to the coronavirus pandemic, which had shut down high school sports since March.
“We don’t need a ball, we would love to get one in October but we have a lot of work to do right now to perfect our craft and the kids are just thriving,” O’Shea said in an interview last week.
“You talk about mental health and kids who are having a terrible time through COVID, all they need to do is get out and run around together and they’re smiling and happy as hell. I was really worried about a lot of our kids. This has literally been a life saver, the opportunity to get out there and keep these guys’ mental health in order. I can’t emphasize that enough.”
O’Shea, through virtual meetings, was well aware of what his players were going through during the time away from their teammates. CdM is currently using remote learning for its student body.
“At this age, a big part of your identify and goals in life are being an athlete and competing and working out,” he said. “They just want to be around their friends and smile and laugh and work, and that’s what it’s provided.”
On the field, CdM has made great strides, O’Shea said.
“Maybe six of the best practices we’ve ever had over the last two weeks,” O’Shea said.
“We have 160 kids so we put them in 16 pods of 10; one coach with 10 players, and they come in every 15 minutes or so and they will do their health screening, it takes five minutes and they will end up having a 40-minute workout on the field. We’re doing speed training Tuesday and Thursday nights and Wednesday it’s football drills without a ball.”
O’Shea said he has heard the complaints that footballs are needed during drills.
“We don’t need a ball and we have so much work to do defensively with footwork drills and set recognition and learning defense,”
he said.
“That’s all mental stuff and drill work and offense is the same deal. The offensive line is doing their offensive line drills, our skilled guys are doing individual drills, route running, and then they line up in a seven-on-seven offense. They’re running routes full speed, run game full speed, we’re teaching so much more with spacing of routes and how to run. It’s almost a blessing in disguise. We’re focused more on technique than we’ve ever been.”
Corona del Mar is scheduled to open the season on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021 vs. Paramount at Newport Harbor. The Sea Kings, who were 16-0, won the CIF 1A State title and CIF Division 3 crown last year.
O’Shea, like other coaches, has been following the NFL and college football as the teams try to return to competition.
“I’m much more optimistic than I was two months ago,” he said when asked whether he thought high school football would be played. “It’s a herculean challenge to say the least. There are some high schools (outside of California) having a lot of success and some that are having some challenges. I think that’s incumbent upon us to protect our kids and try to bubble our boys so to speak the best we can as far as a football team.”
While health screening, including temperature checks are in place, it’s not clear how many high school teams will be able to offer testing.
But O’Shea is taking an aggressive approach to help keep his athletes safe.
“I think we can all find resources and fund-raise,” he said. “I think in the public school, you’re used to fund-raising and I don’t think there’s any bigger priority than all of us getting out there and coordinating a fund-raiser to account for the testing and account for the temperature checks, which are super-easy. We do it every day to 160 kids; it takes about three minutes for 30 kids to get screen tests.
“Maybe we will be able to reach out to some companies that have resources on this and see if we can get some donations for maybe doctors or facilities in your area. But I think it’s incumbent upon us to solve problems, not to complain about it, and get off our butts and have some kids go out and raise some money to be able to ensure that we can get out onto the field.”
O’Shea said he is responsble for health screenings every day at practice and he’s happy to put in the time.
“I check in 160 kids every day myself,” he said. “It is absolutely seamless and is worth every minute of my time to be able to see these young men smile and laugh.
“Let’s stop complaining about it and accept what it is and try to manage around it. These kids need it.”
O’Shea indicated it’s not all about football.
“All I’m concerned about is the mental health and the well being of these young student athletes that we’re responsible for at Corona del Mar High School,” he said.
“Let’s pull up our bootstraps and get to work and find out to get these kids outdoors safely. There are ways to do it, let’s fund-raise, let’s get off our butts and get to work. This isn’t rocket science, let’s make it work.”
-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
More news from Corona del Mar football:
More Stories
Santa Ana football coach Rory Schoonmaker resigns to accept job at El Segundo
Crean Lutheran football team begins preparing for new challenges in 2024
Moving tributes highlight celebration of life for football coach Terry Henigan