Q/A with head football coach Marc Bindel

After a long week of Rider festivities, it is finally time for the big game against Old High. The Rider Chronicle sat down with head football coach Marc Bindel to discuss rivalry week as a whole.

Q: How has the team been preparing, both mentally and physically, for the game?

A: Well, they’ve been working really hard in practice doing everything they need to get done. To get ready. I think Monday was kind of a learning day. They weren’t really focused, but as the week went along, our practices got better and better. There are always two components to the game. One is getting physically ready, but the other is getting mentally locked in. I think with all the distractions on the outside, it’s easy to look at all those and not focus on what you have to do, which is actually play the game. They’ve done a good job of that.

Q: What is your favorite tradition during Rider/Old High?

A: I love Mum Day. I think that everybody in the school getting involved in that tradition and staying in it by staying quiet all day, and it builds up to the pep rally. Then we just get to release all of our built-up energy, which is an awesome tradition.

Q: Since you attended Old High during high school, was the initial transition to being a Raider difficult?

A: No, it wasn’t difficult. Two of my coaches that coached me at Old High were over here. They were my favorite coaches and I loved them. The first time Old High ran out and played their school song, it was kind of weird, but since that time it’s just been all Rider. I tell people, I was only at Old High for four years and this is like my 13th year at Rider. So I’ve been at Rider over three times as long as I was at Old High.

Q: What is the most important thing you tell the team going into the game?

A: I tell them that what really matters is what’s going on between the lines. I mean, the crowd is huge. There’s so many distractions going on, so it’s very easy to lift your focus from what’s going on on the field to the stands. There have been times we haven’t played well, because that’s where our focus was. We really try to keep our focus in between the lines and if you can do that, you’re going to have success.

Q: What does ‘One Family One Team’ mean to you?

A: I think it means that everybody does everything for each other. We always have each other’s backs. I was here when Coach Gar (Jim Garfield) brought that initially to Rider, and it’s really awesome how everybody in the school administration, teachers and kids have all brought that. I think it just defines what we’re all about. You can see it when we play sports, in the hallways, in the classroom, anything that we do, you can see “One Family One Team” sticking out.

THIS WEEK’S RIDER-WFHS COVERAGE 

The history and creative process of Yote Busters

The Happening: A celebration of everything ROHO

Q/A’s with Mr. and Miss Raider nominees

Behind the scenes look at rivalry week