Presidents Welcome
To the Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association,
“Individual commitment to a group effort; that is what makes a team work, a society work, and a civilization work.”
Vince Lombardi
Never have these words by Coach Lombardi resonated quite the way they do in 2020. A global pandemic has postponed our sport and isolated our student athletes. A national reckoning with the plague of racism has forced our polarized culture to engage in difficult conversations, self-reflection and corrective measures. With these towering issues in the backdrop, I am tasked with writing to all of you to formally introducing myself as the President of our Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association. This has been one of the most difficult letters I have ever had to write.
The challenge we all must face this year is maintaining a balance between realism and optimism. We are well into a fall without high school football in Massachusetts, yet, the window is wide open for us to for a short, but meaningful opportunity to build a team, develop leaders, engage in competition, and teach our student athletes how to adapt to constantly changing situations. These have become even more urgent lessons for our student-athletes to learn. We as coaches have not had an opportunity like this in recent memory. Let us make an individual commitment to teach those lessons. Let us send our players into our schools and communities with a resolve to be great leaders and teammates in the game of life.
I also want to remind our membership that the MHSFCA is here for all you. The association is actively working to make our sport safer and more competitive. Communication is paramount. Follow the MHSFCA on Twitter. Attend meetings, volunteer as a league representative, bring your energy, experience and ideas forward. No issue is too big or too small. The time is now to make a difference. Currently, the football field is the most important classroom in American society.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve as President. I wish all of you the best of luck in the coming year.
Yours in Football,
John M. Fiore
President, MHSFCA
Head Coach, Reading Memorial HS
“Individual commitment to a group effort; that is what makes a team work, a society work, and a civilization work.”
Vince Lombardi
Never have these words by Coach Lombardi resonated quite the way they do in 2020. A global pandemic has postponed our sport and isolated our student athletes. A national reckoning with the plague of racism has forced our polarized culture to engage in difficult conversations, self-reflection and corrective measures. With these towering issues in the backdrop, I am tasked with writing to all of you to formally introducing myself as the President of our Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association. This has been one of the most difficult letters I have ever had to write.
The challenge we all must face this year is maintaining a balance between realism and optimism. We are well into a fall without high school football in Massachusetts, yet, the window is wide open for us to for a short, but meaningful opportunity to build a team, develop leaders, engage in competition, and teach our student athletes how to adapt to constantly changing situations. These have become even more urgent lessons for our student-athletes to learn. We as coaches have not had an opportunity like this in recent memory. Let us make an individual commitment to teach those lessons. Let us send our players into our schools and communities with a resolve to be great leaders and teammates in the game of life.
I also want to remind our membership that the MHSFCA is here for all you. The association is actively working to make our sport safer and more competitive. Communication is paramount. Follow the MHSFCA on Twitter. Attend meetings, volunteer as a league representative, bring your energy, experience and ideas forward. No issue is too big or too small. The time is now to make a difference. Currently, the football field is the most important classroom in American society.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve as President. I wish all of you the best of luck in the coming year.
Yours in Football,
John M. Fiore
President, MHSFCA
Head Coach, Reading Memorial HS
