Sitting around a campfire at their retreat, the Ohio football Unity Council brainstormed some ideas for the upcoming season. Ones that would hold each other accountable and make sure the freshmen understood what a quality teammate was.
The council, made up of a player or two from each position group, decided on a red stripe that would say RISE UP, a phrase commonly used within the program. The other decision was to create a circle of trust that would hang on a board in the locker room.
So when their teammates reported to camp Sunday evening, they were greeted by a PowerPoint presentation given by two captains and Unity Council members: A.J. Ouellette and Nathan Rourke.
“It was just kind of an idea we had because we wanted to promote team accountability,” Rourke said. “It’s a fun little thing we can do over fall camp that gets our young guys focused on what is the Bobcat way. We want to create a culture around here.”
The red stripe appears on the helmet of all true freshmen participating in fall camp and won’t be taken off until the council sees fit to do so. The freshmen are not evaluated on their play on the field; that’s up to the coaches. Instead, Rourke says the hope is that the freshmen show strong characteristics of a good teammate, on and off of the field.
On a board in the Bobcats' locker room sits a circle of trust. Names of every player in the program sit inside the circle, but if you don’t live up to expectations you can move outside of the circle. Consequence No. 1: You’re removed from the locker and must use the visitors’ locker room.
Evan Croutch, a member of the Unity Council, didn’t help create the stripe or circle because he felt accountability was missing last year. He did it because he wants to leave a lasting impact on the program, on and off the field.
Step one is to make sure the team he leaves behind in a year are good human beings.
Coach Frank Solich is a fan of the stripe and circle. More importantly, he sees it as a notion that his team and Unity Council are maturing. He wants his team to police themselves, that way more focus is spent on the football field opposed to discipline.
“The goal is to have every stripe off by the end of fall camp,” Solich said. “This is what the Unity Council is all about. It shows their maturity.”
Rourke hopes these tools will bring the team closer together. He’s excited for the upcoming season, but he’s aware that Ohio hasn’t won the Mid-American Championship since 1968.
As he puts it, maybe it isn’t a bad thing to mix things up. To make sure teammates are being held accountable.
“It’s great to try new things, especially with a 50 year drought. Maybe it’s what we’ll need to get over the hump.”
