John Boogaard is a first year coach here at Southwestern. He is from Colorado and played offensive line at Western Colorado University for two and a half years and then finished school at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, MT where he was recognized as an all-conference player in the Frontier Conference and his team also won the conference in 2018.
I was able to talk with Boogaard and ask him how he feels about coaching, Southwestern, and where he thinks the Dawgs can go this season.
“I always thought I would like coaching when I was younger, but at WCU I went through so many crazy things with a bad offensive line coach and that experience really made me think I wanted to get into coaching. Then, being around Coach Stutzriem and Coach Jason Petrino at Rocky, and the great example they game me to be a great coach, teacher, and leader, fueled my desire even more.”
I was able to be coached by Boogaard this past spring and I have never been pushed more by a coach in college. I was content on being the back-up tight-end this fall, before I was injured, but he didn’t want me to be content. He told me that I needed to step up and become a better player, or I wouldn’t see the playing time I wanted. Every day I got better, all because I had a coach actually do what he is supposed to do. Push the athlete to become better and never settle for second best. That is the great thing about this SWOSU Football coaching staff. Every day these coaches but the team in the best position to get better and excel at everything in life. This is why I believe that Boogaard fits so well here at Southwestern.
“Coach Chris Stutzriem was the offensive line coach here last season and he’s a guy that has been a big mentor to me and he kind of led me here. It was something I really wanted and I was really blessed to get the job here.”
Coming to Southwester for Boogaard has been a big deal. Within the last year, SWOSU has sent several coaches to high positions at high schools around the country. This is just another opportunity to excel in this profession for him. Boogaard told me that Coach Pobolish, the head coach of the Bulldog football team, Coach Hennes, the wide receivers coach, and Coach Warehime, the offensive line coach, have helped him grow every single day. His knowledge for the game has grown exponentially even from this spring when he started here. He says that those guys are great people and even better co-workers.
“We are a close knit team I feel like this year which has been great and as we go through it together we will keep getting closer.”
He is absolutely correct. I was able to be a part of this team for two years and those guys are my brothers. This year’s senior class has brought everyone in, from the starters all the way down to the red-shirt freshman. I believe that they are a family. Boogaard also believes that this team can go wherever they decide, as long as they put in the work and are willing.
We also discussed some of the players and leaders on the team, mainly on the offensive side of the ball.
“Tyler Marr is a great young man who has really step up as a leader this year. Alex Ramirez is a tough player who will do anything to help the team win. Corey Ganz and Cal Bakker are both the big leaders of our offensive line and Coach Warehime has done a great job getting our guys ready to go up front! Excited to see those guys keep getting better.”
Boogaard was spot on and these guys are definitely the people the coaches and team can count on. He believes these guys, along with the team, can bring the Dawgs success this season.
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