While she is making history coaching on the sidelines with the Regina Thunder this season, Adrienne Zuck is looking forward to the job at hand working with the team’s defensive backs coach.
It is believed that Zuck became the first female coach in CJFL history this week when she was named to the position by the Thunder this week.
On Tuesday, the Thunder DB Coach joined the SportsCage with Michael Ball.
The focus for Zuck is not the historical aspect of the job, but the task of improving the Thunder defensive backs.
“I just look at it as an opportunity to grow as a coach.” says Zuck who noted that her job with the Regina Thunder is the first time that she will be working with men.
She added that she is not expecting many differences working with a different age group and is looking forward to helping the players achieve their goals.
A couple of traits that Zuck believes she possesses that helps her when she is coaching is positivity and finding proper goals with her players.
“Something I incorporated when I was coaching with youth is what are they getting out of it, what does being on the field mean to them. I guess that’s the big difference between RMF and high school is the goals of the athletes.”
Along with her coaching career, the Thunder DB coach is a nurse practitioner. She says it can be a challenge finding the right balance with work and family balance but noted the support of her parents, her husband’s parents and extended family that allows her to coach both spring and fall leagues in Regina.
Even though Zuck joining the Thunder is quite the historical achievement being believed to be the first female coach among her ranks, she says that she didn’t realize historical implications until she was approached by many people offering her congratulations.
Zuck said that the Thunder position is another chance to continue her evolution as a coach that began with her working with Regina Minor Football.
The Regina Thunder opened up training camp last week as they will prepare for the beginning of the season on Sunday, August 15.
