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a positive.Coach Annese and his staff start

working with players as soon asthey arrive on campus to ensure

that students coming from suspectbackgrounds ranging from academicto criminal to even personal andfamily issues know what is expectedof them.

Criminal situations players onlast years team have been involvedin range from felony weaponscharges, armed robbery charges, drugpossession charges and DUIs.

We like to make the players veryclear about what we expect, Annesesaid. These players are often in a cityby themselves for the first time so wespend about 40 hours in orientationto get them prepared to be collegestudents.

The first way this is done is through

the Grand Rapids Raider FootballSuccess Handbook.

The handbook, which is handedout to each player at the start of theseason, contains everything fromthe top 10 reasons for players to fail,overall expectations for each playerand also assignments players arerequired to do throughout the year.

Also included in the handbook iswhat Annese called an IndividualImprovement Plan.

To the best of my ability I try to giveplayers thought-provoking questionsthat make them think, Annese said.Young people need to sustain a focusand this touches on everything fromspiritual to academic.

Casey Therriault is a formerquarterback at GRCC who hasexperienced this first hand. Therriaultspent six months in jail for involuntarymanslaughter but was given a second

chance on the football team.I was contacted by the coaches

to come down for summer practicesand it kind of went from there,Therriault said. Coach Annese hasgood judgment of character and he

allowed me on the team.Football became a form of escape

for Therriault.What helped me was actually

getting on the field and not having toworry about the off-the-field issues,Therriault said, who is now playingat Jackson State. No one ever askedme about my off-the-field issues andthe supporting cast of coaches andplayers helped.

Phil Lewis is another former playerwho struggled academically but wasgiven the tools he needed to succeedat GRCC.

For me, the mandatory study tableshelped a lot, Lewis said, whosestruggles were more academically

based. I was able to get the help Ineeded with reading, writing andmath.

Having struggled with reading andwriting throughout his educationalcareer, it was the one-on-one tutoringas well as the support of the coachesthat made all the difference.

I became very close with CurtisAndrews and Tim Johnson, Lewissaid. They recruited me and werevery helpful in helping me succeed.

Lewis was quick to emphasize theimpact Coach Annese had on him notonly as a player but also as a person.

If Coach Annese sees you havetalent and are a good kid, he will helpyou get a tutor, Lewis said. To him,

its about being a good person and agood player.

The other motivator for Lewis,who has moved on to play at Toledo,was simply looking around at other

players.I would see past teammates in

class failing and complaining andthat makes me work harder, Lewissaid. Community College is the lastchance for most of these guys so Iused that as motivation.

While Annese has had success withplayers, there are still the exceptions.

We have had to dismiss a playerbut its a case by case thing, Annesesaid. These players today are dealingwith circumstances that I never hadto deal with.

Often times these players areworshipped at the high school level,

Annese said. I hear players all thetime saying, My community blewmy head up. We need to make surestudents dont lose their perspectiveof why they are here.

Football program provides athletes a second chance

The reason why the players arthere is laid out on one of the firspages of the Success Handbook.

The first goal coaches have for theiplayers is to earn their associatedegree.

Our purpose as a coaching staff andan institution of higher education ifor you to commit to excellence in ayour personal, academic, and athletiendeavors, said Coach Annese in hiopening letter to players.

Having awarded many players second chance, Annese has seen boththe positives and the negatives.

There are issues all the time bu

that is why you do it, Annese saidYou get broken hearted with the losof players and I have had people nomake a life out of themselves whcould have.

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2012 Michigan Community College Press Association Judging Form

Place of award:

First Place Second Place Third Place Honorable Mention

Category: Sports feature

Headline/title of entry: Program offers players second chance

Contestants name:Austin Metz

College name: Grand Rapids Community College

Judges comments: This is a really nice piece, and Coach Annese sounds like a really

nice guy. I like that you provided details about how he sets expectations for his players,and I like that you got quotes from players about how those expectations have helpedthem. I also like that you spoke with a number of people for this story: Coach Annese,some of his current players and some of his former players. You left me with just acouple of unanswered questions: Why does Annese believe so strongly in secondchances? (Did someone give him a second chance once?) And how have thesesecond chances paid off for these players once they were out of school?

All in all, though, a terrific story. Well done.

pcm