Add the Hockomock League to the growing number of schools offering it’s football players a showcase for college coaches. The league announced on Tuesday morning that they would be holding a showcase for football players on Sunday May 12th from 4-7 pm at Milford High School
The announcement came a day after the Catholic Conference announced that they would be hosting a showcase on May 23rd at Xaverian.
The Hockomock League Showcase was organized by Milford head coach Dale Olson and his brother Dana Olson, Taunton head coach Brad Sidwell and former Franklin head coach Eian Bain.
I caught up with Dana Olson and asked him why the coaches around the league decided to put together this showcase.
“We had done it before in Millis in 2016 and it was hugely successful. It got our kids exposure.” Olson added: “The coaches felt that if we picked one central location, it would be easier for the college coaches to attend.”
The development of other showcases in the area in recent years was ultimately what led this to this showcase according to Olson. He says the league had to keep up with what the private schools are doing.
“It is keeping up with the Joneses and giving our kids the same opportunities as kids get at those schools.”
With a growing number of public school kids opting to transfer to private schools and reclassifying, public school coaches feel that they need to be pro-active and give their players many of the same opportunities. Olson said that it is not so much about competing with those schools, but giving public school kids similar opportunities. That is why the Hockomock League coaches put together this showcase.
“It is a good first step to showcase that we have some talented kids. They deserve to be seen.”
Olson added that 50 college coaches will be on hand and about 15-17 FCS coaches ranging from the CAA to the Patriot League will attend.
It is a good start and the plan is to make the showcase a yearly tradition.
Expect more showcases to pop up in the months of May and June as high school coaches across the board try to give their kids more exposure and opportunities.