After a strong season last year, Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah’s football team is ready to get to work with a new man in charge.
Last month, the school district introduced Andy Voruz as the new head coach after previous coach, Josh Bardon, had to step down.
The scramble to find a replacement forced the players to go without summer workouts; however, Coach Voruz is not letting a late start serve as an excuse.
Voruz spoke with SeehaferNews.com to discuss what his goals are in his first year at the helm, given the unique situation he and his players are in.
With a hopeful outlook, he said, “Do I want to win? Yeah, I want to win just like everybody else wants to win. I’d like to make the playoffs, but I want the same kids finishing with the same kids who started, and I don’t want to see anyone leave my program.”
Voruz owns his own business and has previous experience coaching football as a Defensive Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach at Wheaton St. Francis in Illinois.
This Resorters team excelled in the pass game last year thanks to WR Brody Feldmann, who has since graduated, and returning junior QB Cole Wagner.
While Voruz could have taken the easy way out, sticking with the previous playbook given the situation, he’s taking on this season with long-term success in mind.
“When I took this job, it wasn’t for one year, it’s going to be for a long time. I’m going to build a program,” stated Coach Voruz.
He explained further, saying, “So, I could have ran last year’s stuff, that was the easy way to do it, or I could start my program now, deal with the pains, and implement everything new.”
Coach Andrew Voruz
One new wrinkle for the Resorters next year will be less reliance on the pass game, with a desire to shorten games by pounding the rock with multiple capable ball carriers.
Another new feature Coach Voruz has brought along to help create a well-rounded football program isn’t about X’s and O’s, but physical and mental wellness.
“The other thing we’re doing, which is really unique to a lot of people, we’ve got a mini yoga program,” he said proudly. “So, every Monday they have a professional yoga teacher and they work on core strength, they work on some mental stuff, and that’s something different.”
Each Monday, the team takes a jog from the school to the newly opened Elevate Yoga studio to work on their minds and bodies, showing their commitment to not only improve on the field but off it as well.
While the Resorters are in a tricky situation with a shaky summer, Coach Voruz and the players remain committed to the changes and one another in an effort to follow up a successful season with some new faces, new looks, and new ideals.
