By Nick Baril  – Contributor

As my one-year anniversary since retiring from playing football approaches, I find myself reflecting on the incredible journey that has brought me to a new chapter in my life – coaching. The transition from being a player to stepping into the role of a coach has been both challenging and immensely rewarding.

In January 2023, the Gaiters football head coach Cherif Nicolas offered me an opportunity to join the football coaching staff. After three difficult seasons at Bishop’s due to Covid-19, an injury and not dressing in my third year, I decided that it would be the best decision to make. Entering my fourth year in a new role with the team provided me with many opportunities.

I assisted our new defensive backs coach Samuel Polan’s transition into the team in the spring and oversaw special teams’ logistics during practices and games with Coach Nicolas. As a staff member, I also had the opportunity to initiate my own project in the team. In collaboration with the sports studies department, I introduced virtual reality training to the quarterbacks.
Head coach Cherif Nicolas and offensive coordinator Samuel Gendreau fully supported me in this project. This new initiative allowed the quarterbacks to experience the repetitions executed in practice in virtual reality and review plays in a fully immersive environment.

As a former athlete, the transition from playing to coaching within the same program was an interesting experience. At first, there was a sense of not being in the right place. However, as I grew more comfortable in my role and better understood my responsibilities, I began to realize that I was truly in the right role. I felt supported by the entire coaching staff but more importantly, by my former teammates, to whom I was now a coach. In this change, I realized my passion for football was greater as a coach than as a player. In the years ahead, I am eager to continue evolving as a coach, honing my skills, and contributing to the growth of the sport.

My journey is a reminder that life after playing can be just as fulfilling, as the lessons learned on the pitch become the foundation for a new chapter in the world of football.