“We Will Be Ready”: A letter from Monmouth University head coach Kevin Callahan

A message from Monmouth University football head coach Kevin Callahan.

Dear Monmouth Hawks Family,

As we all navigate the abnormality of our lives during the current global pandemic, I hope that you and your families are healthy and safe. I cannot stress to you enough the importance of following the guidelines outlined by the medical community (social distancing, self- confinement, hand washing and personal hygiene) as a way of reducing the trajectory and duration of this pandemic.

All of us are being challenged in unique ways on a daily basis, and it will be our response to these challenges that will determine the outcome. Please know that President Leahy, Athletic Director McNeil, and all of us at Monmouth University, are making decisions on a daily basis to best protect the health and safety of the entire campus community while collaborating on game plans that will result in a stronger and more resilient Monmouth once normalcy returns.

The football staff has planned and coordinated our efforts so that we can work remotely while remaining in constant contact with each other, as well as with each and every one of our players. Whether it is to assist them with the newness of remote instruction, inquire about the health and well-being of their families, encourage them to retain the fundamentals of their training protocols, or engage in football-specific discussions, the football staff is in daily contact with our players whether by way of team, position or individual meetings. Zoom, Google Meets, and the many platforms available today are extremely useful tools. As a result, we are becoming better teachers, more creative, and technologically more advanced.

While our players are taking their courses remotely from home, Tim Rehm has devised training programs that they can employ without access to weights or gyms. Additionally, we are prepared to begin a “virtual spring practice” on April 2^nd.  Over the course of eleven days, we will hold  “online practices” through which we will be able to teach and discuss the schemes and techniques that we will employ once we are all back together. Our ability to post content through our web-bases video system will greatly assist in this area.

In our last online team meeting, I emphasized that we may not be able to control what is currently happening with the virus, remote academic instruction, or the temporary hiatus from football, we can absolutely control how we respond. How we respond to the virus and the recommendations from the medical community will impact how quickly the nation recovers; how we respond to remote instruction will determine our success academically; and how we respond to the challenges of training and preparing for competition in this environment, will dictate our success this fall.

The teams that will be great in 2020, are the teams that prepare for success now! The teams that dedicate themselves to responding to the events currently impacting their lives in a positive manner, regardless of the circumstances, will be the most successful teams when football resumes. We Will be One of Those Teams! Regardless of our circumstances, we play Rutgers on September 5, 2020. WE WILL BE READY, WILL YOU?

These may be challenging times but, it is a great Time to Be a Hawk!

Kevin Callahan