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05/25/2017 12:00 AMWith his passion for coaching, a competitive fire to win, plus a deep background in the football community, Anthony Avallone has earned the job as the new torchbearer for the Guilford High School football squad.
Anthony grew up in North Branford, where he competed for the Thunderbirds on the high school gridiron. After playing at Central Connecticut State University and finishing his degree at Southern Connecticut, Anthony began working at Reitman Personnel, a staffing company in Branford, where he’s been since 1993. Anthony coached in the Guilford Youth Football ranks for several years and then joined the high school staff as the freshman coach last fall. Now, Anthony is taking the reins on the Indians’ sidelines as he was recently named the high school team’s new head coach.
“I’ve always enjoyed coaching and have a passion for it. I’ve always wanted to do a good job in that role,” says Anthony, who has lived in Guilford the past 17 years. “For the past eight, nine years, there hasn’t been a year where I didn’t coach football. I also know that there’s a certain comfort for me and the kids because I’ve worked with and coached many of them at the youth level.”
Anthony feels that the emotional and physical investment one makes while gearing up for a football game is second to none. He’s also a big believer in the notion that intensity develops great character in both coaches and players alike.
“I’m as competitive a guy as you’ll ever meet, so I prepare my team each week to win. The preparation is rigorous and intense,” Anthony says. “A lot of the successes and benefits for the kids have to do with being able to compete at a high level. Football requires such a high level of preparation and a great amount of sacrifice. It all helps the kids grow strong as people and help them to become better young men. I look to utilize adversity as a great learning experience. Our team will be well prepared to be competitive with the teams on our schedule.”
Anthony feels that his experience as a football player has helped him travel successful paths in other walks of life, and he wants to see that same formula hold true for the Indians’ athletes. Anthony says that his coaching drive is ignited by seeing the final product that’s built through all the sacrifice.
“This sport has given me so many things to utilize to help me both in my personal and professional life. My development has come from playing football, and it can happen to these kids if they stick to the plan,” he says. “You grow by testing yourself, sacrificing yourself, and being willing to do what others are not. Being a part of the process and seeing positive results are why I coach. I love to compete and test myself. Just like in life, you prepare to be successful.”
Frank Rolston, who worked alongside Anthony on Guilford’s coaching staff last year, says that a big piece of Anthony’s coaching acumen stems from how he applies what he learns in his professional life to the football field.
“Anthony is a natural-born leader. He’s a great motivational speaker. He knows what to say to get the most out of everyone. He takes his business background and applies it to football. Much like with business, a player has to work hard and show up on time. He knows the players have to get the tasks done or else they won’t be on the field,” says Rolston. “He knows that to be competitive, you have to work hard in the offseason. He’s not afraid to work hard. He’s competitive, but he never gets frustrated. He will hold his composure to be successful.”
Anthony says that he isn’t setting a specific number of wins as a goal for the Indians this fall. Right now, Anthony’s biggest goal is to familiarize his squad with a whole new set of Xs and Os throughout a packed slate of spring and summer sessions.
“We have a very aggressive spring schedule with spring football and then a few camps in June. Our initial goals are to get our system implemented and apply it,” Anthony says. “We have a mindset of one day at a time and then to be better today than we were yesterday. I believe momentum builds momentum.”