Jeff Rolson speaks changes to the Apopka soccer team –

By Marshall Tempest

reporter

This week I spoke to Jeff Rolson, the head coach of Apopka Football, to discuss the work outside of the season, the new look of the team and the changes to the entire program. Apopka's spring football game will be against and at Jones High School on Wednesday, April 23.

For the first time, I asked Rolson how he had felt about the work and preparation of the team of the team since the end of the 2024 season. He told me that they had changed some things in the weight room, e.g. B. how to approach strength training and focus on the diversification of the program.

“I think the children reacted well,” said Rolson. “We have some profits here and there and hopefully we'll see a little more explosiveness.”

When we discussed changes to the team's game plan, including offensive and defense systems, he was firmly about several personal groups to edit certain situations.

“We will have several staff groups,” said Rolson. “So our job this spring is to find out who can challenge on the sidelines of defense. Who can drive by someone and give us a vertical threat? Who will block the circumference? Who can catch the ball and miss people in space? “

Rolson spoke about the offensive program last year and about how they were three or four. He said that would stay on the offensive, but this year the crime will have a closer end and half -back -oriented games. Rolson even told me that Apopka's famous single wing would celebrate a comeback so that Apopka could lead a smash mouth football.

Rolson's goal is to have players who are characterized in different scenarios in different packages so that he has options for the offensive and defensive purposes.

“But in autumn I mean, hopefully we have a single wing-tight end and half a back as well as a pro-style single-wing-angel end and half a back so that the boys don't get tired,” said Rolson. “Most of these boys, the narrow ends and the half -fermentation, will come from the line of defense.”

Rolson continued that they will also play a lot of people on both sides of the ball to see if they can find hidden talents. Your goal is not only to develop depth, but also to find a man who may be a backup, but everything he has in practice and is put to a place where he can help the team more. Rolson doesn't matter whether this is in the offensive or defensive purpose. He wants boys who want to work hard and be blue.

“So we will really try to do, a few people on both sides of the ball are to be played in spring to try to develop a little depth and to find the guy that he may be a backup linacker, but he could be a dynamic player or a starter elsewhere,” said Rolson.

This year, Rolson emphasizes that the Blue Darter -Temeam Culture will bring back the creation and back of the Blue Darter -Teumkultur. The general approach is to create a culture in which the effort, attitude and team commitment are more important than individual talents and believe that this approach will ultimately lead to better team performance. APOPKA has achieved a lot of player personnel sales because many children have decided to play elsewhere. This doesn't bother Rolson at all.

“I would rather have a man who has bought and will give them everything he has and he will be trained – as a man who may have a little more talent, but it will do his own way, and at the speed he wants to do,” said Rolson. “When people go, that doesn't affect me at all. We won many games at Apopka with staff who may not match. It is not a problem. I don't know, we may be better for that. I'll just say that. “

Rolson said that the restoration of this culture should not be too difficult because many Apopka children are simply done. His focus is on finding people who are ready to work hard to earn a starting place, to be blue darter and be ready for a challenging year.

“I think the reality is when you cut your roster a little, you will find the boys you want and be bought,” said Rolson. “We had children who could have competed for playing time or a starting place, but they went. And we lost a few here, a few there, good. If you want to do that, you want to do that. But we only want guys who want to be here. We want you to mean something here. We want you to be ready to compete, to buy and to accept the challenge of what we offer. And you know that if it's easy, everyone would do it. So we are not. “

Rolson told me that the schedule for the 2025 season in autumn 2025 and is ready to be released. They are just waiting for West Port to stay in our district. When West Port goes, the district has to replace this game with a new opponent. The Spring Football game against the Jones High School will take place on Wednesday, April 23, in Jones. So mark your calendar to take an early look at the new Apopka soccer team.