With Eye Toward the Future, Nicolet Junior Knights Build on Present

On one of the hottest afternoons of the early summer, the Nicolet Junior Knights were already preparing for the fall football season. 

Sunday, the Junior Knights held their 2011 organizational meeting at Good Hope School. President Art Sonneschein and several coaches handed out helmets, shoulder pads and other equipment. The Junior Knights serve fifth- through eighth-grade players in the Nicolet High School district.

Sonneschein has been with the program since it was founded in 2002 as the Nicolet Squires. The teams play in the Wisconsin All-American Youth Football League, which will field 208 teams at the four levels of play (fifth through eighth grade) this season.

“When we first started, just like everything else in life, there were growing pains," Sonneschein said. "Trying to get equipment, a place to play and practice."

But steadily the program has added polish. Goal posts were installed at Good Hope School six years ago, and this year the club will put up Nicolet High School's old scoreboard. A new scorer's booth will be shared with the Little League.

On the field, building up the program also has been a challenge. At times, the number of participating players has been low — the sinking economy hasn't help — but now there are good signs.

Keith Alling, whose son Noah also plays for the Junior Knights, is a coach of the fifth-grade team. He was excited about this year’s turnout for the younger teams.  “We have 36 players signed up already and hope to have 40 by the start of the season," he said. Paul Penoske, who also coaches younger players, reiterated, “The program has struggled with overall numbers in past years, however there is enthusiasm at the youth level and with a new varsity coach, [Nicolet’s head football coach Brad Kozaczuk], I expect the next few years the program will continue to grow.  This year already the four youth teams are near 100 players.” 

Sonnenschein emphasized one point, “We want to make sure this program is for the kids.” 

The kids, too, are excited. Eighth grader J.T. Zorawski said, “I love it.  I get to play fullback, quarterback, whatever they need me to do, I’ll do it.”  

Jack Berroug, another eighth grader, added, “I like football. You can’t just watch it.  It’s really fun to play and have the experience.” 

Among the main purposes of such a youth program is to prepare players for the high school level. Nicolet traditionally has struggled on the football field, and Kozaczuk hopes the development of the youth program can help to turn those fortunes.

“As we develop the program it would be my goal to have them run more and more of our base systems," he said. "This is the advantage that perennially successful teams have.  Teams like Arrowhead, Homestead, Kimberly, Appleton North, Reedsburg and others have seniors that have been in the same type of offense and defense for almost eight years. The consistency and ability to develop more complex schemes based on a solid core makes them the model of success we are trying to build at Nicolet.”

Junior Knights coaches say they hope to teach their players 20 percent of the high school playbook every year through four years of the program, so players have mastered 80 percent by the time they become freshmen.

Sonnenschein maintains that the values the youth program teaches are the key ingredients.  “We emphasize ‘team’," he said. "I teach that we have a 12-man team: the 11 players on the field and all the players on the sidelines are the 12th man.  We all have to work together.”

Alling also believes that the real value of the program lies in teamwork and the effort each player gives.  “We keep it simple, teach the love of the game.  We play to win, but scores don’t really matter.  If we execute the best we can, the outcome solves itself.”

Practice begins Aug. 6 and the opening scrimmage at Saukville is Aug. 31. Once school starts, practices are limited to six hours per week.

Sonnenschein also emphasized the importance of parental help.  “Our coaches are all volunteers, most have sons in the program," he said. "My son started playing here, and he came back to help me coach.

“We need people to hold chains, keep score, run concessions.  We can’t run this program without help.”