On a rather hot day earlier this month, Zachary Cooper attended a football camp at Lutz Chiefs Stadium.
The 16-year-old did some conditioning, went through drills, and even participated in a scrimmage. Later, Cooper said it was a worthwhile event and the participants had a good time.
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
But he wasn’t there to learn. He was there to teach. It was his camp, and he was the coach.
“I felt it went fantastic. The coaches really came out and they worked their butts off,” Cooper said. “We definitely had some kids that showed their talent and just showed that they are dedicated, and that’s what matters most is dedication. If you’re not dedicated you probably can’t play the sport.”
With some Steinbrenner High School football players to assist him, Cooper led around 50 middle school-aged attendees through a free two-hour camp, teaching them football basics as well as specific skills according to their position.
Cooper is already a recognized leader, serving as head coach for Martinez Middle School and an assistant coach for the junior varsity team at Steinbrenner. He’s also coached for the youth football Lutz Chiefs and been in touch with the Arena Football League’s Tampa Bay Storm about participating with their staff.
And Cooper is in discussions with a college in Georgia to continue his education — and his coaching career — once he graduates high school in 2015.
He might still be a couple of years away from voting, but Cooper’s already an experienced football coach who loves teaching the game.
“Being a coach, I really enjoy helping the kids out,” he said.
Cooper acknowledges it might sound strange to hear a teenager talk about “the kids,” especially considering he sometimes coaches athletes who are older than he is. But when teaching middle school players, he believes his age is an advantage.
Instead of having decades separate them, Cooper is just a few years older than they are, so the players relate to him and communicate with him easily. And while the older players might be skeptical at first, after a meeting or two, they’re on board as well.
“What I try and do is prove that I know what I’m doing and help these guys,” Cooper said. “After that, it’s full-on respect.”
That respect comes from the effort Cooper puts into his work. If he’s not guiding players on the field, he’s reviewing game film, or designing his own plays. Even though most of his coaching is for the defensive side of the ball, he has an offensive mind for the game as well. Cooper played offensive line as recently as his sophomore year.
That effort has paid off with players like Steinbrenner wide receiver Fernando Mallicote. The soon-to-be sophomore has learned a lot from Cooper from his time on the Steinbrenner junior varsity squad and the Chiefs.
Mallicote has made the jump to varsity for the fall campaign. Cooper played an instrumental role in helping him improve his game, he said.
“He cares,” Mallicote said. “He doesn’t just coach. He knows what the players are capable of.”
Mallicote helped Cooper with the football camp and said he enjoyed working with younger players, and even learned a few things himself at the event.
While he’s become friends with Cooper, Mallicote said that doesn’t mean anything when they take the field. The young coach will yell with the best of them, trying to wring the most out of his team on game day.
In fact, Cooper is as excited to participate now as he was when he was wearing a uniform.
“I’m probably just as hyped if not more,” he said. “When referees are making those bad calls like they always do, I’m definitely the first one out there to give them the what for.
“When my guys score, you’ll see me jumping up and down, hugging the guys just like I would if I was padded up.”
Cooper might still be padded up if not for a concussion that sidelined him earlier in his career. Coupled with other injuries, Cooper decided that playing the game wasn’t in his future and figured he’d give coaching a try. He didn’t expect to like it as much as he does, but coaching activities now dominate most of his time.
Due to the success of his camp on June 7, he wants to schedule another football-focused event in the future as well.
When he’s not in school or focused on his sideline duties, Cooper is producing the “Two Cents Radio Show,” a sports-related, Internet-based audio program. He also handles commentary for local wrestling shows, which are then streamed on the Internet.
But coaching is never far from his mind, and it’s something he expects will be a part of him for a long time to come.
“I tell my kids, I plan on doing it until my 60s or 70s,” Cooper said.
For more information about Cooper’s show or football camps, visit 2CentsSports.com.
Published June 18, 2014
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