A new coach in any sports probably never thinks a global pandemic would be a part of preparation for their 1st season, but that’s what Beaver Dam football coach Brock Linde is working through this spring.
Despite off-season plans being disrupted, Linde is rolling with the punches and doing the best he can to keep kids engaged in strength and condition activities. Building the strength and condition programming within the school district is one of the big goals that Linde hopes to help accomplish in Beaver Dam. The school district has made great strides in that after partnering with Lucas Dankovhik of Sports Advantage to run the middle school program. Linde says they were planning on rolling that program into the high school this spring before the pandemic closed schools and limited person to person contact. Sports Advantage is owned and operated by former University of Wisconsin strength and conditioning coach Brian Bott. For now, Linde says that they are offering at home online digital fitness programs for student-athletes to follow. He says that kids are working with whatever they have in their own home to stay in shape.
Linde says that his coaching staff is pretty much set for the 2020 season but has had a few new hires in the school district inquired about joining the staff in some capacity. Linde says that a successful football program is a community undertaking and the more people involved is better for the core culture of the program. Along with his head coaching duties, Linde says that he anticipates he will continue to run the Golden Beaver offense. Eric Schaalma will run the defense after assisting on that side of the ball last season.
With the world basically being locked down, Linde says that professional development across the coaching world has grown as more and more coaches are sharing information online regarding culture, schemes, and program structure. He says he’s been very impressed with how coaches in Wisconsin and across the nation have come together in sharing ideas online.
As for this summer, everything involving the football program is up in the air. Linde says that they will leave everything on the schedule as planned but will adjust as things change. The annual Beaver Dam Flattail Founding Football Golf Outing is scheduled for Sunday, June 7th at Beaver Dam Country Club.
Coach Linde was hired in February to lead the Beaver Dam football program in 2020, taking over for former coach Steve Kuenzi who announced his he was stepping down last Fall after six seasons on the job.
Click the link to hear a complete interview with Beaver Dam football coach Brock Linde.
