Dorsey quarterback Josh Coleman is showing leadership on and off the field
Josh Coleman speaks with Long Beach Poly quarterback Shea Kuykendall.
Josh Coleman is a junior quarterback with 4.0 grade point average who transferred from St. Bernard to Dorsey in February and got to spend a month on campus before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down classes. Now the fall football season could be delayed, and he doesn’t know when he’s going to be able to work out with his new Dorsey coaches. L.A. Unified classes don’t start until Aug. 18 and coaches are barred from working with students.
“We’ve been having Zoom meetings twice a week,” Coleman said. “I get together with some of the guys. We stay connected and do workouts at the nearest park. I’ve been trying to orchestrate with some of the skill guys.”
In the City Section, so much is being left to individual players to prepare for an uncertain sports season ahead, and Coleman is not sitting around his house moping about being unlucky. In fact, he started his own podcast on YouTube, “Q2Q” in which he interviews high school quarterbacks. His latest interviewee is Servite quarterback Noah Fifita.
“I have another lane to express myself,” he said. “I love journalism and sports broadcasting. I love watching Stephen A. Smith.”
High school athletes could have lots of extra time this fall if the season is pushed to 2021, so taking advantage of that time might be a way for many to deal with the frustration of no sports competition.
Dorsey first-year coach Stafon Johnson barely had time to introduce himself when the campus was closed.
Several schools around Los Angeles have taken precautions against the coronavirus, but only Cathedral has gone as far as requiring tests to play sports.
“It’s very frustrating for me coming in January,” Johnson said. “By the time we looked up, it was coronavirus time.”
He’s been trying to stay connected through Zoom calls. He’s had as many as 47 players connected on a call, but also as low as seven. Having played at Dorsey and USC, Johnson has strong connections to the community, but like most City Section coaches, being denied the chance to teach his players this summer is challenging.
“It’s playing the waiting game,” he said.
Seeing Coleman‘s initiative, though, has Johnson feeling good about the future.
“He’s very innovative and a leader,” Johnson said. “He’s the one getting kids together.”
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