Frank Rolston has been a mainstay in the Guilford football community for nearly a decade now. Frank’s spent the last eight years as a coach in the town’s youth program and so he knows the Guilford gridiron pretty well. This fall, Frank is taking the next step as he begins his first season as the head coach of the Guilford High School freshman team.

“I was looking to concentrate more on my work this year, but [Guilford Head Coach Mike Eagle] and I spoke a lot over the past year, and so they needed a freshman coach and I decided to join,” says Frank, a Guilford resident. “We have about seven [to] eight kids in our freshman program that have never played the game before, so we have to have them prepared before their first hit. We want them to be in position to deliver the hits and not take them.”

The sport of football demands a lot from those who play it. Not everyone who competes in high school will continue at the college level, but Frank feels football can teach athletes many essential life skills that can help them in the future.

“We aren’t really coaching these kids to be in the NFL, but it’s a tough, intense sport that prepares them for their roads ahead in life,” Frank says. “You have to be either all in or you’re not in it.”

Speaking about the rewards of coaching, Frank says that it’s not necessarily about winning or losing. Instead, what Frank loves most is when one of his athletes shows appreciation for how he helped him progress on the field.

“It’s really nice to coach, especially when you see a kid you coached in youth football get far because of their hard work and dedication to be better,” Frank says. “It’s even better when they show thanks to you for it. It’s about them understanding that hard work pays off and that they see the rewards of their work.”

Coach Eagle says that Frank’s familiarity with the territory, coupled with his expertise of the game, made it a no-brainer to bring him aboard as Guilford’s freshman coach.

“He’s been involved with Guilford Youth Football for years and is very well-respected by all. He and Anthony Avallone, who coaches the freshmen with him, are familiar with our system from our initial involvement with the youth program last year when our staff took over,” says Eagle. “He has a familiarity with the kids on the freshman team and their families. He has solid football knowledge and is a valuable asset and welcomed member to our coaching staff and football family.”

As Indians’ football begins its 2016 season, Frank feels proud that he gets to coach in a growing program that is the green of Guilford.

“Guilford is one of the few towns around here moving ahead in a positive way with respect to football,” says Frank. “It’s nice to see our numbers for participation are up in the town. It shows we are doing something right with football here.”