Pace’s football team is in the process of transitioning into the summer off season program which constitutes one fourth of the series of changes that  new head coach, Andrew Rondeau, has implemented into a 24-week agenda.

In mid-March the athletes completed phase one of Rondeau’s new approach to the Pace football program, which had the players up-and-at-em at 7 a.m. for film reviews, coach’s meetings and workouts, followed by a team breakfast in Kessel’s cafeteria. Last winter’s seven-week long strength and conditioning plan, unofficially called “Fit Club”, encouraged players to take ownership of their bodies to achieve a lean body mass and – ultimately – a greater sense of team unity.

As the athletes have started to see physical changes in the gym, according to offensive lineman Terrell Price, Pace’s football team is ready to tackle new obstacles on the field.

“After spring break we started learning different plays and going over them on the field,” said Price of football’s spring practices, of which the NCAA allows 15 practices for a 30 day period. “There’s a much higher intensity between the guys at practice this year, and they all are improving and adapting to it well.”

Rondeau feels that the winter and spring phases both incorporated a “getting to know you” factor as the coaches are new to Pace’s players. These two phases also served as platforms for players to exhibit their dedication and potential to be recognized by the coaches. It is the responsibility of the coaches to encourage and motivate the players, many of whom often don’t recognize their own potential, according to defensive back coach Reggie Garrett, and Price feels that his coaches have been doing just that.

“When last season ended a lot of guys were like ‘ugh, it’s going to be the same thing this year and we can’t do anything about it,’” said Price, who said that the team was keen on change even before Rondeau was hired. “[The new coaches] push a lot of people to the limit because they see their potential to be great – to strive for greatness.”

Price feels particularly encouraged by offensive line coach and former offensive lineman Darnell Stapleton, who appeared in 14 games [12 starts] for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2008.

“Even though [Stapleton] won the Super Bowl he’s willing to take the time to help this team in need,” said Price who is a sophomore communications major. “[Stapleton] said he didn’t get that good of grades in school so it’s that much more inspiring to me.”

Though there is new NCAA legislation for Division I teams that allows schools to track players and make summer conditioning mandatory, Pace is a Division II school and is not eligible to adhere to those Division I decrees. Rondeau, however, anticipates that his players will effectively manage the work that he expects them to put in despite being away from trainers and the collegiate atmosphere during the 10-week summer program.

Sophomore defensive end Tyler Owens said that his coach’s values and guidance have already taught him to hold himself accountable for his actions and responsibilities, which may translate to an independent fulfillment of his coach’s expectations.

“I’ve grown under Rondeau,” said Owens, “he doesn’t baby us, he treats us like men, and he doesn’t allow us to become complacent.”

Rondau has teamed up with his staff to ensure that his players are growing, mentally and physically. Strength and Conditioning Coordinator Michael Bohlander said that he has been working with the athletes to take their bodies places that many of them don’t want them to go as Rondeau has set new limits for Bohlander and the football team.

“This is my first offseason working with Coach Rondeau,” said Bohlander, who was a four-year starter for Pace’s Division I baseball team (1999-2002).  “He is more demanding of both the athletes and myself, which is a good thing – he’s making the team better and I’ve definitely seen improvement in our athletes. We made a lot of good strides.

Rondeau and Bohlander both feel that it is necessary for all players to continue their training over the summer, which will serve as a second opportunity for further strength and conditioning progression.

If Owens’ teammates are as devoted as he claims to be, then their summers will be jam-packed with drills, core work and flexibility, among other particulars. These next few months will tie up loose ends before the athletes begin to prepare for fall competition.

The final phase which will complete Rondeau’s series of modifications is the annual training camp, in which athletes will report to their coaches three weeks prior to Pace football’s first contest. By then the players will all be rooted to Rondeau’s structured foundation and – if all goes according to plan – will have attained the physiques that will better equip them for their positions.

“This is a big summer, a lot of guys need to keep going as there is still a lot of development that needs to happen,” said Bohlander, who is in his eighth year at Pace. “It’s definitely exciting to see where we’ll be at training camp, I think we will show improvement.”

While ultimately Rondeau has been working to physically fortify his team, the byproduct of his program has resulted in a better dynamic between players as his point based system provided an opportunity for individual growth and brought out healthy competition between players, according to junior offensive lineman Matt Digby.

Though early on in the semester some of Rondeau’s athletes experienced a culture shock that came with the adjustment to an entirely new coaching staff, there has been an overall positive change in the players’ attitudes, and the ones that have stayed with the team have proved their devotion, which according to Bohlander, sets the Pace’s football program up for future successes.

“American culture says ‘win’, but we really just want to get better,” said Rondeau in an interview with The Pace Chronicle last February. “We’ll be good when we’re good, but we have to keep on this path.”

Assuming that the athletes will continue to gain momentum since reaching the halfway point on Rondeau’s path, Pace will be able to see the fruits of the athletes’ labors come Sept., 6, when the football team will face Alderson Broaddus on Pace’s turf.