The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/141892
■ From Head Football Coach Dave Doeren Hello Wolfpack Nation, It seems like just yesterday we were playing the Kay Yow Spring Game in front of 20,000 of you at Carter-Finley. Before we know it, Aug. 31 will be here and we will be taking the field for the 2013 season. I am looking forward to getting back on the field and going to work with this team in in the fall. Our players are working extremely hard this summer. These couple of months are so important to the success of the team, because this is when we find out who the leaders are and who will take the team under their control. Along with all of the work they are doing to get their bodies ready for a long season, they are also putting in a lot of time in the classroom. It is important for the players to use the summer courses to their advantage so they can get ahead in their degree progress. We were able to get all of our incoming players enrolled in summer classes so that they can begin working with our strength and conditioning staff. I am excited to get a chance to work with this incoming class because there is so much potential in this group of young players. Some of them may be called on to contribute immediately this season. Along with the hard work in the weight room and the classroom, the team has really stepped up when it comes to community service. I believe that it is very important for our players to be involved in the community because it teaches them lessons way beyond the football field. So far we have been involved in local organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Communities in Schools, and Big Brothers & Big Sisters. The team has logged hundreds of hours already this summer, and I am expecting them to continue this into the fall. Many of the players have really taken to the idea and have gone out on their own to find their own ways to give back. We have had a lot of success on the recruiting trail this offseason. A lot of credit goes out to my amazing staff for all of their hard work in the spring and summer months. As you may know, we have named our signing class the "Pack14." We wanted to give this group an identity and a sense of ownership of the class. We have had a lot of verbal commitments so far, and I fully expect to sign one of the best recruiting classes in the country. To do this it is very important that we own the state of North Carolina. We want every player in the state to visit our campus, facilities and coaches. We are confident that if we can get these recruits in our doors we can show them that NC State is a place where they can be successful. We were able to get many high school players on our fields this June when we held our summer football camps. These camps give us an opportunity to work one-on-one with many potential players, and it is a great evaluation time for us. I am excited for the future of our recruiting. One thing I wanted to do when I got to NC State was to make sure that I have a presence with all the sports teams. Every team in an athletic program is important and I want them all to be successful. We introduced a video series this summer called, "Dare Coach D," where I get a chance to go out to the different sports teams at State and learn how to do their sports. I got a chance to visit the softball, volleyball, rifle, bass fishing, soccer, basketball, and women's golf teams. As much fun as I hope it is to watch, it was a lot more fun for me to go out and This summer, while also working hard in the weight room and in the classroom, Wolfpack football players have volunteered hundreds of hours for local organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Communities in Schools and Big Brothers & Big Sisters. photos courtesy nc state media relations meet these different athletes and learn their sports. We have some amazing athletes at this university and it was awesome for me to get a chance to go through a practice with them. We will report for fall camp Aug. 1 and I cannot wait for our staff to get back on the field with this team. Fall camp is a time for us to install our playbooks, fine tune our skills, and develop our young players. Before I know it, the season will be upon us. I am so happy with how our schedule came out this year. With eight home games and only leaving the state two times, I think it is a very favorable schedule for our success. I hope you are as excited as I am for the upcoming season. I will never predict the season, but I will promise that we will coach these players to be a group of tough, hard-nosed players that fight to the last second of the clock. We will coach and play to win! This is Our State! Coach Doeren 10 ■ the wolfpacker 10.Doeren Letter.indd 10 6/28/13 4:58 PM