Rob Zvonar found himself in unchartered waters this offseason.
During his 15-year career as the football coach at Lincoln-Way East, Zvonar had welcomed a handful of students who transferred from other schools to his team.
It should come as no surprise that the transition can be difficult Now, try welcoming approximately 40 transfers to your team.
That was the task Zvonar, for his 16th season guiding the Griffins, was up against when it was announced Lincoln-Way North would be closing. All of the remaining North players were headed to East.
“The biggest thing we tried to do to for the kids from North was to invest in them as people first,” Zvonar said. “The coaching staff made themselves accessible to the kids. If they needed to talk at 3 a.m., they knew they could call me. We had to show them that we cared about them first and foremost as young men.”
That method seems to have worked.
Some kids needed a handshake, others a hug, to feel reassured. Zvonar and his staff were there to oblige.
Last season, Jake Arthur was the starting quarterback at North. He acknowledged he wasn’t quite sure how he would be welcomed at East.
The experience, however, has gone better than he ever could have imagined.
“My coaches and teammates have made this very easy,” Arthur said. “It felt like home from Day 1 by the way they greeted us. It’s been great.”
One of the first orders of business by Zvonar and his staff was to stress to the players that no matter which school you were at last season, you’re all part of the same family now.
“We told the kids early on that having a school close is an unfortunate circumstance,” Zvonar said. “We were in a meeting and we asked the players to look to your left and look to your right.
“That person might be a college teammate, the best man at your wedding, a friend for life. The unity on this team has been great. Give the kids all the credit.”
Zvonar did more than try to use words to unite his players.
“We took the entire team to the movies back in February to see ‘Creed,'” Zvonar said. “We got involved in some community service. The kids have been receptive to it all.”
And there are a lot of kids on the Lincoln-Way East roster. At one point, the Griffins numbered 130 players. The roster is now down to 114, give or take a few.
Granted, there is power in numbers, with East being ranked No. 1 in the Daily Southtown Preseason Top 10. But there are only 33 starting positions on the field if you include special teams.
Competition for those positions has been fierce. Players were forced to step up their game.
Senior defensive back Colton Pedersen, who started at North last season, knew there were no guarantees of playing time this season. Last season meant nothing. It was a clean slate.
Put up or shut up.
“I had to work harder,” Pedersen said. “I was out there busting my butt every day to get better. I didn’t want anybody getting any ideas that they were going to be taking my spot.”
Pedersen, indeed, nailed down a starting spot at cornerback.
He couldn’t be happier how the transition from being a Phoenix to a Griffin has developed.
“The coaching staff has gone above and beyond to make everyone feel welcome,” Pedersen said. “They made the transition very, very easy. There has been no hate among the players. Just a lot of support.
“It’s been fun. We should be a great team.”
Twitter @disabato