Learning from Champions - Success is a Choice
Dec 28, 2021 9:04 pm
Coach ,
In our Learning from Champions series, we head up to Maine and highlight Marshwood Head Coach Alex Rotsko. Coach Rotsko’s resume is impressive and includes:
- 22 State Finals in 24 Years
- 17 State Championships
- 47-game win streak
- 6 undefeated seasons
He achieves this level of success in how he builds his program and in what he believes is a strategic advantage in the Wing-T.
In 2021, Coach Rotsko led Marshwood to a Class B State Championship after a tough 14-13 win over Windham. This was Marshwood’s fourth straight gold ball trophy, and 6th total in 7 years.
It is safe to say that Coach Rotsko knows how to build a championship level football program. To do so he focuses on 3 aspects to prepare his team for each season.
- Building champions by setting goals
- Control the things that you can’t (opponents, distractions, leadership, people ect.)
- Pre season preparation for the Coaching Staff
Coach Rotsko’s philosophy is that “success is a choice.” This mindset has proved to help his team become champions time and time again. He explains it in this video (click image for video).
Another measure of success for Coach Rotsko is the importance of setting goals. In the clip below, he talks about the different types of goals to set for your team, and how to teach kids how to set realistic goals for themselves each season
These are Coach Rotsko’s ways of preparing his team to play championship football every single season. Having a foundation and core beliefs that your players can buy into is the first step of building a program to compete for state titles every year.
Like Coach Rotsko says…..SUCCESS IS A CHOICE.
Culture is so important, and Coach Rotsko combines it with a sound strategy which for him is the Wing-T. The Wing-T has been around for a long time, but the concepts can be found in multiple offensive systems.
Having counters are so important to any offense. Being able to run against today’s odd fronts certainly is a priority. Taking care of the nose will get a play like this going and Coach Rotsko shows how they do that here. It may even be a little overkill, but he definitely goes for a ride (click on image for video):
The combination of culture that executes strategy has proven to be a winner for Coach Rotkso. Congratulations to Marshwood on another DOMINANT season.
Here are Maine’s State Champions:
Class A- Thornton Academy Trojans
Class B- Marshwood Hawks
Class C- Cape Elizabeth Capers
Class D-Foxcroft Academy Ponies
8 Man Small- Dexter Tigers
8 Man Large- Cheverus Stags
Good luck to you and your team as you embark on a new year and new season.
Always be Growing!
Coach Grabowski