Even in 90-degree weather on the scorching football field turf, head coach Erik Terry’s calm composure beats the heat. After seven years away from coaching the sport, Terry is back on the sidelines as Northwood’s head football coach.
Terry spent nine seasons coaching Irvine High School to three CIF playoffs, then stepped away before returning last fall as Northwood’s co-athletics director. Now as the T-wolves’ head coach, he aims to reset the team’s culture and build leadership in players.
For Terry, leadership starts with the basics: being punctual, showing up in uniform and giving their all at practice. Furthermore, seniors must uplift underclassmen to be their best, as the team relies on generational knowledge and everyone looking after each other.
“A thermometer reads the temperature in the room, but a thermostat sets the temperature,” said Terry. “We’re asking [our players] to be the ones that set the temperature in their classroom.”
Terry implemented this policy after noticing that many players were passively present in their classes and not actively setting an example. To encourage real results, Terry encouraged his players to hold one another accountable like they are being trained to do on the field.
“When you’re in a classroom, that’s your team,” Terry said. “You have to encourage those people, because you’re all in that class together, all striving to do your best.”
Players are expected to increase the level of respect between classmates and their teachers and hold everyone to a higher standard than just listening passively. For example, when there’s bullying, teachers have reported players being the first to stop and say that’s not cool, Terry said.
Furthermore, Terry lives up to his standards by setting an example for his players.
“He does a good job of explaining things. And when stuff goes wrong, he usually takes account of it. He does a really good job in breaking difficult concepts down to stuff that we can do and understand,” quarterback and football captain senior Noah Green said. “We bring a lot more energy and excitement to what we do every day.”
On the field, Terry has focused on strengthening the team’s offensive strategy, running newer and more complex plays that showed success against Woodbridge High School in a 38-7 victory on Sept. 12. This season, the team aims to combine that high-powered offense with a stingy defense. However, winning is not just the primary goal, Terry said.
“When all is said and done, we just want these young men that are in the program to be great young men in society and be great husbands and fathers,” Terry said. “Football is just the vehicle to teach them how to be better people and be the best version of themselves.”
