Q & A with Ridley’s Dennis Decker

Written by: David Mika on Tuesday, August 16th, 2011. Follow David Mika on Twitter.

Q. Why did you decide to coach High School Football?

A. I enjoy being around kids. I teach Special Education and I thought it was a good opportunity to give back to kids.

 

Q. How many years have you coached at your school?

A. This will be my third year at Ridley.

 

Q. Do you have any interest in coaching at a higher level?

A. No, I’m at a period in my life where I have three kids and being married and I don’t have the interest.

 

Q. Growing up was there an athlete or coach you particularly admired and patterned your self after?

A. Growing up in Ridley and watching Coach McNicholas as a kid when my dad would take me to Ridley football games. I always respected and admired the way he got the most out of his players. He is one of the main guys I kind of looked back on some of the things as a player he taught me and things he did with me as a player. I try to instill that with the kids I have.

 

Q. What do you feel is the most important thing or things that you can teach your athletes?

A. I think its more life lessons than football. Football is a great sport and kids can learn a lot from it. I think the camaraderie and the different things you get from football are great. The experience and the networking you are able to do with football and that help’s you out in life.

 

Q. How important is strength training and nutrition in your program?

A. It’s huge in any program. When I played 20 years ago we didn’t do the weight lifting all year and we didn’t do the 7-on-7. We did our own thing during the summer and we showed up for camp and started the season.

High School football now-a-days is becoming a year around thing, where you train during the off-season and making sure guys are doing the right thing. I think it’s important because kids are bigger and stronger these days and if you aren’t treating your body the right way it’s going to effect the way you play Friday nights and how you recoup from a injury.

 

 

Q. What kind of offense and defense do you like to run?

A. We have been a spread offense the last couple of years, four wide receivers and one back. This year we are a little more two back and tight ends because of the personnel we have. As far as the defense goes, I have a great defensive coordinator Ralph Batty. I will be honest with you I don’t mess around with the defensive side of the ball.

 

 

Q. Who is the best football player you ever coached against?

A. There have been so many good players to name them all. But recently Jamal Abdur-Rahman of LaSalle was a nice player.

 

Q. Who is the best team you ever coached against?

A. The team we lost to in the semi-finals my first year, LaSalle College. That was a very good football team.

 

Q. Do you want your athletes to play other sports?

A. I do. When I was in high school I played football, basketball and baseball. I think it helps you out. It prepares you for other sports.

 

Q. Do you think 16 games is too much for high school teams?

A. No, I think it gives every team an opportunity at a state championship. When I went to the state finals as a senior there where only four teams that made the playoffs, one team from southeast, one team from northeast, one from northwest and one from southwest. It happened we got lucky that year and went undefeated and Central Bucks West tied somebody Thanksgiving and we ended up going. If that didn’t happen we would have been 11-0 and were stiffed in the playoffs. I think if you cut the playoffs down some teams may not get their opportunity.

 

Q. What type of a game schedule would you most like to see?

A. Personally I like a tougher schedule. We open up with Malvern Prep. They have two linemen that committed to division one schools. We opened with Coatesville my first two years, which was a very good football team. I think it helps you down the road and it should prepare the kids for the playoffs.

A lot of teams like to schedule a team to go out and get a win right off the bat and get confidence. In some coaches’ eyes that is what they need. It depends on their team and their coach. I personally like playing a tougher team.

 

Q. What are your goals/challenges for the 2011 season and what do you have coming back as a team?

A. Our goal every year is to go undefeated and win the Central league, make the playoffs and win the state title.

What we have coming back is a running back Jalen Randolph who is going to carry the load a lot this year. Matt Davis will be a first year quarterback and he has a great arm.

This year we are going to run the ball more and control the clock. Our biggest concern is the offensive and defensive line.

 

Q. Do you have a pre-game ritual?

A. On Thursday nights our booster club does a spaghetti dinner for the players. That is the only thing they do.

 

Q. Final Question. How do you define a successful season?

A. I define a successful season; they have fun, learn something from the game of football, that would be skills and finally they take something with them for down the road.

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