The events that have gripped the world over the last year and then some have been debilitating for all of us. After spending several months in quarantine, dealing with the endless cycle of bad news, and watching the number of coronavirus cases continue to climb, we have been reminded of the importance of mental health. Sometimes, we all have to be reminded that we have someone who is there for us; to catch us when we fall, and to get us on our feet again.
After the emotional roller coaster that his team was forced to take during these last few seasons, as well as the ensuing pandemic, Bucks head football coach Jevon Glenn took it upon himself to put the mental health of his current and former players first.
“We want to make sure that we pride ourselves on family and being there for each other,” Glenn said.
Coach Glenn decided to make it a point to visit many of his old players who had moved on to play football at several colleges and universities. He set out from Deerfield Beach multiple times during the summer of 2020 to check in with players in six states aside from Florida, including Georgia, Kansas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, and South Carolina.
Using the Deerfield Football Twitter account, Glenn branded his stops as “Coach Glenn’s Pull Up Tour.” From late July to mid-October of 2020, Glenn made 16 stops in all, traveling as far west as Independence Community College in Independence, Kan. and as far north as the University of Pittsburgh. His goal was simple: to be there for his men no matter what.
“This is something that was brought on by the pandemic. We had some guys who were struggling with some things from a mental health aspect with getting adapted to college. We had talked to a few of [my former players] and we got the notion that we needed to go there and sit face-to-face with them and just tell them we love them and have very open and candid conversations about helping them to adjust,” Glenn said.
Glenn was also heavily motivated after his team lost two of its varsity players in separate tragedies in early 2020.
“They have dealt with a lot, including the deaths of a few of our players who they were very close with and dealing with this whole pandemic. We are all struggling with this, even the adults. So, could you imagine a kid who is thousands of miles away from home trying to go through it and adjust to the football scene while learning new plays, a new system, being a new guy, along with school as well? It’s tough. So, we wanted to just be able to go out there and be a shoulder for those guys to lean on,” Glenn said.
Glenn wants his players to know that the program he runs at Deerfield Beach will never be far behind them.
“The walls of our program are limitless, and they extend as far as any of our kids go, so that is something they know for sure. The “Pull Up Tour” kind of reiterated that and showed these young players that that is how it is here,” Glenn said.
According to Glenn, while his visits have had a positive impact on his young pupils, it is the resolve of his players that are getting them through whatever difficulties they may be facing.
Glenn continued, “Now they are thriving in the classroom, socially, on the football field, so [our visits] have been really good. This is ongoing so we can let them know that no matter what they can always reach out and call if it gets rough, they know that coach is going to come and give them that sense of normalcy during these trying times, so it’s been very beneficial.
Not only has his coaching staff’s efforts assisted his players, Glenn also recalled that being around his former players had been very restorative for him and his staff as well.
“It’s been very therapeutic to me as well to get out and see my guys because I miss them and it’s good to check on them,” Glenn said.
Glenn’s tour has caused the relationships between himself and his former players to reach a new level. He says that the respect his players show him has continued, but after the players move on to the next chapter of their lives the relationship becomes more personal.
“I think the relationship builds over the years. The relationship went from coach to uncle or a fatherly figure,” Glenn said.
At the end of the day, Glenn feels this is just another part of the job description. Being available to his players, both past and present, makes him feel that he and his staff are making a greater impact on their lives.
“This is just another proof in the pudding for those guys out there and for the young guys as well. Family is forever. We want to make sure that we’re living that so it’s not just a phrase.”
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