Most had tears in their eyes and that’s a good thing. Tears meant they understood the finality of Wednesdays’ district basketball games ending. It also meant that the overall experience was truly impactful. The seniors lined up single file facing me. Behind me was the rest of the coaching staff and the underclassmen. One by one, I thanked each senior for his commitment to the program. I shared one tidbit that I uniquely loved about them and finished with a final hug. The process was repeated with every team member. On this night it was a struggle to keep my composure. This was a special team ..read more

On the north side of the track was a large chunk of grass where we always finished football summer workouts. The players would form a big circle and the captains would place themselves in the center. The command, “get em chopping” was used to start the ritual, and the whistle would quickly follow. “Down ups” was the technical term for this barbaric training method. Run in place, drop to the ground and then immediately pop right back up, is the best way to describe it. Each night of workouts at Warren Fitzgerald High School we finished with “down ups.” Starting with 25 on the first night, addin ..read more

One of the strangest phone calls I ever received as a head coach was from the father of a “Scout team” player. “Coach Glodich, this is Bobby’s dad. I am having some issues with my son and he just won’t listen or do anything I say. He thinks the world of you and will do anything for you. I was wondering if you would help me discipline him for some of his behavior. I want him to run laps on the track. I will be there to watch and monitor. If you tell him to run, he will. Of course, I would let him get water if needed.” My response After a few seconds for me to wrap my head around what was just ..read more

I’ve often heard, “you can’t judge a book by its cover.” But in working with my publishing team, I found out readers and buyers of books often do. In fact, a book cover is one of the most important, if not the best marketing asset, an author has. After finishing my first draft of my book, A Run to the River, I began working with my publisher and her design team on my book cover. I knew I was going to incorporate my brand-and favorite colors of the blue and orange often seen in the sunsets of Marine City, Michigan. I also knew I wanted the harpoon logo of the Marine City high school football te ..read more

It’s National Student Athlete Day. As the Executive Producer and Film Director of Beyond the Game, student athletes are a demographic-an audience- that’s near and dear to me. I have always asserted that student athletes are leaders and they can effectively establish platforms for change whether it be in their families, communities, businesses, or philanthropic ventures. A student athlete’s growth and evolution are inspired by many. Without question, great student athletes are directly influenced and developed by great coaches. As a filmmaker and publisher, I have met many people that have cau ..read more

It literally took my breath away. I stared at the picture and my heart began to race, and a million thoughts flooded my mind. The vision had nothing to do with me but had everything to do with what the picture captured and the potential symbolism. On a recent vacation to Puerto Rico, my daughter snapped a photo of my grandson in my arms overlooking the beautiful town of Villalba-We are standing on the edge of property that is elevated thousands of feet up the mountain side. The property belongs to the Romero family (son-in-law) and their house was built on a flattened Mango farm. On that brig ..read more

It was a phrase we preached to our athletes from day one. We collectively as a group (coaches) do not like surprises. If you have to miss practice, communicate. If you got hurt goofing around outside of practice, communicate. If you feel you are not getting enough playing time, communicate. Part of our job as a head coach and mentor to young student/athletes is to build their communicative skillset as they transition into adulthood. We stressed that when you look a coach in the eye, and communicate in a mature adult way, respect will be gained on both sides. In the summer of 2016, I experienc ..read more

“The long way home,” was a statement I would hear from my dad when he would come out to visit us in Marine City. He had been retired for years and mom had just passed away. Dad was still living in Warren and would visit us frequently and many times he would spend the night. When he would leave, I would give him a hug and tell him to please call when he got home so that I knew he was safe. That’s when he would share, “I think I am going to take the long way home today so it may be a while.” I would never say it out loud, but my mind immediately would ask why? Why would he take a route that nea ..read more

It was a type of anticipation that probably isn’t normal for a grown man, but it happened every year. A flow of energy that literally pulled me through the dog days of our Michigan winters. I would write the words SPRING BREAK in thick black marker over the selected dates on my desk calendar. Seeing those words every morning provided a launching pad to get me through the day. I knew the trip would lead to thousands of dollars being spent. There is no exact price for “Magic”, so I felt that money was well spent. For a stretch of about 13 years, I coached back-to-back sports at Marine City high ..read more

The message was repeated every single time. The message was not meant to be disrespectful; it was not meant to discourage; but it clearly had a purpose. As head coach, I made a calculated decision to start day one of every season with an impactful statement that would clarify the purpose of the Mariner football program’s mission. “Not one of you, let me repeat that, not one of you are going to make your livelihood as an adult playing professional football. I have been doing this for 30 years and that fact still holds true at Marine City high school. You must have clear priorities here, and yo ..read more