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Being a full-time teacher is tough.
To be a full-time head football coach on top of that is tougher.
To juggle both roles while also being a husband and a father leaves little time.
To do all three while trying to become Terrebonne Parish President? Well, that’s close to insane.
But that’s what Ellender football coach David McCormick has been trying to do throughout the fall.
McCormick didn’t become Terrebonne Parish’s President this past week, losing to incumbent Gordon Dove.
But McCormick said throughout the race that the lessons he learned are going to make him a better person and coach now that the race is over and his 100 percent focus is on the team for the rest of its season.
“I’ve met so many amazing people. It’s been just such a fulfilling experience,” McCormick said earlier this season. “You learn from other people and their experiences and I’ve taken so much from the people I’ve met and it’s made me a better person and a better coach. And I think one of the things that inspired me to do this is, yes, love for Terrebonne Parish and a desire for greater things here. But also, I wanted to show our kids that anything is possible and they can aspire to do anything if they work hard enough.”
McCormick operated his campaign around the football team. He’d teach, practice, meet with coaches, then head home to change clothes and grab a bite to eat. He’d then walk the streets talking to people and listening to their concerns — going throughout random neighborhoods in the parish — sometimes well after the sun had gone down.
By the time he’d get home, the clock would sometimes be near midnight. His alarm would be set for near sun-up the next day to do it all again.
“It’s been some long days,” McCormick said with a laugh.
With the Parish President race done, one might thing McCormick’s days would soon get shorter.
But that’s not likely.
He’s going to find some other way to occupy his time.
Throughout McCormick’s coaching career, he’s always found ways to stay busy when away from the fieldhouse.
Most don’t know McCormick has once delved into acting and stunts. He’s an extra in several movies. He also has several other odd hobbies, adding that he’s the type of guy who will see something, like it then dedicate time and energy toward it until he gets better at it.
McCormick said he can’t help it — he just hates to have spare time.
“I don’t like to sit on the couch,” McCormick said. “When I do that for a little while, I get really antsy. I don’t like to sit still in the same place for long. I want to always be doing something and always finding a way to keep myself busy.”
But all of the odd quirks and random hobbies aside, McCormick is also one heck of a football coach and his focus now is on turning the Patriots’ season into a playoff campaign.
The Patriots are close.
They sit at No. 38 in the state in Class 4A with a 2-4 record.
Their positioning was helped after beating Morgan City on Thursday night — a game the Patriots led big early, but struggled late — thanks in part to some poor execution and a few key injuries.
McCormick said this year’s Ellender team has been inconsistent and that’s something he wants to see change in the coming weeks as the team progresses through district play.
The Patriots have athletes and guys capable of making big plays — as much skill as anyone in the area.
But the Patriots also give up big plays, too — especially in special teams.
McCormick said getting all three phases squared away and synced together will be the key.
Ellender is one of three teams currently tied for first place in our local Class 4A District.
The Patriots have a chance to improve to 2-0 in the district on Friday night against Vandebilt Catholic.
“We think we have a pretty good football team,” McCormick said. “The challenge right now is we’re not playing the full 48 minutes. Some of it is numbers. Some of it is our kids are running out of gas or not having enough energy to play the entire game. That’s a big part of it. But some of it also is we’re just not executing at times. We will do well for 5 or 6 plays, then let up for a few plays and that’s when all of the bad things happen. We’re young in a lot of areas and that inexperience shows. But we’re going to keep working and we like our talent. we think when we put it together, we’re going to stack up well.”
