Riverside's honor system keeps players in shape during summer

GAINESVILLE - Riverside Military Academy’s summer football training is best summed up by two words: honor system.

Since at least half of the Eagles’ players live off campus -- some of them in different nations -- Riverside’s coaches hope they take it upon themselves to embark on a summer workout routine, one that will keep them in line with what other area prep athletes put themselves through.

“It’s one of the hurdles we face as a military boarding school,” head coach Chris Lancaster said.

To help deal with the issue, the Eagles coaching staff does its best to help its non-local players along. And even though they can’t be there to help them through every grueling workout, Riverside’s coaches make sure that their players know what they must do over the summer months if they want to keep up with the competition.

“We produce a list of work outs for the kids, and it includes weight routines, running programs and even how to stretch,” Lancaster said.

Riverside’s coaches also keep an open line of communication with their off-campus players, tracking their progress and ensuring that each is doing all he can.

“We’re in constant touch with them via phone calls, text messages and emails,” Lancaster said. “We don’t have the luxury that Gainesville and East Hall has of getting to see these kids every day during the summer, so we have to do our best to keep up with them.”

Yet it’s not so much the Red Elephants’ and Vikings’ offseason programs that concern Lancaster but those at Dawson, Fannin, Rabun and Union counties -- all programs the Eagles will take on next season as they begin play in the Georgia High School Association’s Region 8-AA after playing in the Georgia Independent Schools Association for six years (Riverside left the GHSA for GISA in 2002).

And while the Eagles' routine made for prosperous football in GISA -- Riverside went 49-22 in six seasons and won a GISA Class AAA title in 2005 -- Lancaster said they are eager to see how they will fare against GHSA competition.

"We're all excited," said Lancaster, who is well aware that the competition will be keeping to their routines over the summer.

Many of his players have seen it firsthand in what most Hall County programs undertake.

“North Hall and Gainesville, they have almost the entire team there in their weight rooms working out every day,” Eagles junior linebacker Nick Pascual said. “I think we do the best with what we do though.”

Pascual is one of about 30 Riverside football players who either live in the Gainesville area or are attending summer school and are able to take part in daily workouts at the school’s facilities. And while he knows many of his teammates don’t have access to the same caliber of facilities available at Riverside, he trusts most of them will do everything they can to report to fall practice -- beginning Aug. 1 -- in top condition.

“With the starters, they’ll stick to the workouts and do what they have to do,” Pascual said. “We do sometimes get those slackers who will report out of shape, but most of those guys are younger. It’s just one of the problems of having a boarding school.”

Yet there are some advantages to having a program at a boarding school -- especially come Aug. 1, when all players must report. For while school doesn’t begin for another couple of weeks, Riverside’s coaches have complete access to their entire roster.

And they take full advantage.

“We do some great two-a-days. We can even go three-a-days,” Lancaster said.

“It’s crazy,” said Pascual, who has been a member of the Eagles football program since eighth grade. “You wake up and have practice around 6 a.m. Then you eat. Then you have a workout. Then you practice. Then you have another workout. Then you have team meetings.

“It’s a great bonding experience.”

And bonding is what Lancaster says he misses most about not having the entire team around for the summer.

“When the kids are together and lifting and throwing and catching, that’s got to help -- especially help the kids come together,” Lancaster said. “It’s really a team unity thing. But, as a military school, we’re really keyed in there. We really know what it’s like to bond together.”

With so many different players from so many different backgrounds, Lancaster says his players have to be good at finding common ground.

“We have kids from Korea -- last year we had one from England, the Dominican Republic... They’re all good kids, and it really brings a different flair to the program,” Lancaster said.

Being just little different is where the Eagles thrived in GISA. Now they want to prove they can do it again at another level.