Congrats to Keith Dimmy - Columbus South

Having done some area of high school football recruiting for over twenty years, I have seen many changes in high school football proper. Of course, closer attention to hot weather, better equipment, better practice plans, and more recently, a deeper concern about head injuries. But one of the changes that I really applaude is the fact that high school football coaching at the inner city is changing for the better.

For those of you who follow my blogs or know me, young African American coaches coming back to coach in their communities is huge for me. In the old days, many inner city teams would have assistant coaches who were neighbors or who had only coached youth football. Little knowledge, but did not relate to "kids." Yelling at players was their strength. Of course, not every black coach was that way, but there seemed to be alot.

Now young black coaches are coaching inner city kids. Some have played the game on the college level. Some have been very successful at the next level. Some are teachers. Many have paid their dues coming up the coaching ranks. Whatever it has taken, these coaches have gotten the respect from the high school inner city athlete. Black coaches  have more knowledge and have been there as high school players and some as college players, but most of all, coaches can communicate.

Former Eastmoor star who played four years at Minnesota, Keith Dimmy is the new head football coach at Columbus South High School. Not a whole lot of coaching experience at 36 years old, but he has been around the game forever. This is his first year as a head football coach. Last year he was an assistant to Jim Miranda at Eastmoor Academy. He also teaches mathematics at South.

His comments to the Columbus Dispatch. " I got the coaching itch. I have education in my blood. I have grandparents, aunts and uncles who were teachers. When the coaching job opened, the administration heard that I was interested, and it went from there."

Head Coach Jim Miranda said alot of good "stuff" about his former assistant, including being a leader, knowing his X's and O's, and being a quick learner. But for me, he said it best, when he said," He's a role model for them."

A role model for kids. It does not get any better than that. I still believe role models are important to young people of any color. Young people have to feed off of the positive influences of role models.

 The very best to Keith Dimmy as the new Head Football Coach at Columbus South. His positive influence, not only for the football players he coaches, but also for the entire community of the Columbus South school system will be contagious. And, yes, I evaluated him coming out of Eastmoor Academy.