Edgewood HS football entering season with new HC who values team as family
ELLETTSVILLE, Ind. — Growing up, Caleb True was no stranger to 鈥渢he team.” Being a coach鈥檚 son, True spent countless hours in gyms and on the football field.聽 His father, Pat True, was a middle school PE teacher as well as a high school coach for various sports including football, wrestling, and baseball.聽聽
鈥淢y father has always been my inspiration,鈥� True says,聽 鈥淚 learned what hard work is by watching him on the field and in practices.鈥澛� The second generation Coach True says he also learned the value of others from his father.聽 鈥淗e was able to connect with his teams.聽 His players really enjoyed him as a person, coach and a mentor.聽 My brother and I felt like the team was family. The invaluable lessons I learned from being around my dad shaped who and where I am today.鈥�
Today, he is leading a young Edgewood Mustangs squad (Edgewood High School) onto the field every Friday night.聽 Coach True is in his first season at the helm of the Mustangs, a team rebuilding after graduating 21 seniors last season.聽 While this may be True鈥檚 first season as a head coach, don鈥檛 be fooled; he brings with him a lifetime of experience.聽聽
Apart from growing up the son of a coach, as a senior in high school, True was a member of the 2001 Football State Champions Jasper Wildcats.聽 Upon graduating from IU, he moved to Bonita Springs, FL where he spent 3 years as the Athletic Director for Bonita Springs Middle School.聽 After meeting his wife Gina and starting their own family, True wanted to move back to Bloomington to be closer to his family, and received an offer to work at Bloomington High School South under Coach Mo.聽聽
Since returning to Edgewood, where he was a student-teacher, True has spent 3 seasons as an Assistant Coach for the Mustangs focusing on quarterbacks and wide receivers.聽 Last season, he took on the role of Co-Offensive Coordinator.聽 All of these experiences have led to his inaugural season leading the Mustangs.聽聽
Coach True is a big believer in high-intensity training (or 鈥淗.I.T.鈥�) on the field and used the summer workouts as an opportunity to get started, including daily competitions designed to train and expand the players’ cognitive collaboration.聽
鈥淥ver the summer鈥�, True explains, 鈥渙ur players were placed in two teams and given an uncomfortable task to compete against one another daily; the student who didn鈥檛 give up or finished first won the match.鈥澛� Through the summer, teams would tally their records, encouraging their teammates throughout the workouts.聽 鈥淚t helped us come together and rely on each other,鈥� True said.聽 鈥淎s well as keep each other from quitting.鈥澛� It鈥檚 True鈥檚 desire to teach his players that there will be tough moments 鈥渂ut emphasizing that I鈥檓 going to be right there with them. I鈥檓 not coaching them for who they are now, I am coaching them for who they can become.鈥澛犅�
“Family is Team and Team is Family鈥� Coach True said.聽 Families face the hardships together and celebrate the successes together.聽 This was accomplished recently as Coach True and Coach Haase attended a football camp at Manchester University.聽 Having only 13 players with them, Edgewood was one of the smallest schools in attendance.聽 For a good reference point, Warsaw High School (Class 6A) brought with them nearly 100 players.聽 鈥淢y guys were taken back at the sight of that from the beginning鈥� Coach said.聽 鈥淗owever, as the camp progressed and our offense began doing its thing, we found ways to look the 6A powerhouse in the eye and level the playing field during the last two days of camp.鈥�
Coach True would later recall that moment with pride.聽 鈥淚t was a great feeling to see the smiles and excitement when everything we had worked on during the summer was paying off.鈥�
His proudest moments, however, are when he鈥檚 able to see his worlds collide to become one. 鈥淲hether we win or lose,鈥� he said, 鈥渋t鈥檚 seeing my players and coaches stick to the game plan, ace their assignments, and seeing my family at the game, my wife, children, and parents showing their support makes me link my team, my coaches, and my family together.鈥�
鈥淢y goal is to put my players in a successful position on the field, in the classroom, and in the community,鈥� True said. 鈥淚 demand accountability from each player and want our standard of football to be at the highest level.鈥�
Coach True is working hard to build success at Edgewood.聽 It seems he is well on his way.聽
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