Q&A: Skip Saunier shares his thoughts on his first season as Seabreeze's head coach

Ormond Beach Observer
Sports

Me: What’s different from this year and your time at Atlantic?

Coach Skip: You’re always learning. That was seven years ago. I probably have a lot more patience now than I did when I was there, and I realize a lot of what these kids have to go through nowadays. Hindsight’s always 20/20.

Me: Any play calls or something similar you wish you could get back?

Coach Skip: (laughs) There always is, but the thing about it is you call what your gut feels a lot of times in situations, and, offensively and defensively, we never call a play we don’t think is going to work. A lot of time you get caught in the wrong thing at the right time for them (opponents) and vice versa.

Me: How do you plan on improving as a coach and as a team?

Coach Skip: Get busy right away. We have to keep grinding, and we have to teach our young men that the work doesn’t stop now; the work starts now. We gotta get busy right away, which means in the weight room and in the books, making sure everyone who has the ability to be eligible is eligible. For myself, I plan to go to clinics all year long and learn things from the coaches who do it to get two things: win football games and get kids interested in playing.

Me: Is this something you can see yourself doing for the rest of your life?

Coach Skip: Absolutely. I’ve been a football coach my whole professional life, and I played football since I was in the fifth grade, all throughout high school and college. I’m sure at some point and time in my life, football will be over, and, when it’s over, that’s when I’ll want it to be over, I hope.

Me: Who would you say is the person you lean on the most for coaching advice?

Coach Skip: Coach Kerry Kramer. He was the head coach at Seabreeze, and I worked for him from ’95-2000. Then, I left and went to Melbourne with my college coach. So, Kerry and I have good rapport. He has a lot of good experience, 35-40 years of experience, and he’s a smart, knowledgeable guy who treats kids right. He knows situations and those types of things. And, you always lean on your staff. It’s not my show; it’s our show. As a coaching staff, I talk about everything with them because I want to make sure I have everyone’s opinion, and they can bring out ideas I wasn’t thinking of. Five brains are better than one brain.

Me: Going 1-9 is not easy for anyone. What do you hope your returning players learned from this season?

Coach Skip: I hope they learn that it takes a lot harder work than they think in order to be who they want to be, and that’s in the classroom, on the football field and in the weight room. We got a lot of kids going in 20 different directions all summer long, and then they come back and play football, not having spent time in the weight room, haven’t done this, haven’t done that, and they have to learn that there has to be a dedication to football.

Me: Any regrets?

Coach Skip: No regrets.

Me: What are you most looking forward to next year?

Coach Skip: Winning.