By Cali L, staff writer
With 3 years of experience now as the Galileo football head coach, Nick Nauidan has a new focus for the program, which is working on changing the culture and installing more discipline.
As spring football began on April 17th Coach Nick is focused on installing a higher level of discipline for the upcoming fall season. He said, “Players have to earn their pads; everything is earned.” Additionally, Coach Nick will be putting more power into his captains to reprimand people. “I got my magnificent seven,” he says, referring to the 7 returning players he expects to lead and carry the team.
For Coach Nick, a lot of the rebuilding he is looking for from the Galileo team reminds him of his own time as a Galileo football player. He said, “I remember what it was like to be garbage as an athlete. When I got to Galileo, I was garbage, I was trash, but with help from coaches and captains I left here as a first-team all-city.”
They are starting strong with 53 players for spring training, but it is likely they will not go into the fall season with that many players. Coach Nick says, “We are cutting people this year. If you’re garbage, you’re gone. There are weight room requirements, benching, squatting, you have to make the cut.”
It’s not just the physical conditioning Coach Nick will be focusing on with the players, but also the academic part too. Coach Nick is implementing the 2.0 GPA requirement in order to play spring ball when it is typically only needed when the team is in season 0, which for football, is in the fall. Those who don’t have grades will be going to tutoring to make it in time for fall season.
During spring training the team will be focusing on plyometrics, calisthenics, strength training, resistance training, and speed training to get them ready for the upcoming season. And tons of conditioning and getting in shape. Coach Nick’s motto is, ”It ain’t easy being greasy but somebody gotta do it.”
Coach Nick continues to work on learning from the mistakes he’s made in past seasons. He said, “There will be 0 tolerance for disrespect if you disrespect your cut, I’m not saving anyone, last time I tried to save people, me trying to save you messed up everyone else. That’s out, that’s all the way out.”
As he looks forward to next season, Coach Nick says, “I’m going to play the best 11 that I have; the best 11 on the field. But i’m not going to start the best athlete if their character isn’t there.”
