The Canadian Press
Fraser Caldwell
Ticats.ca
Many would argue that immersion is the greatest of all possible teaching tools. Be it a language, a trade or a field of study that one is drawn toward, tossing oneself into the proverbial deep end makes learning and adjusting a matter of necessity.
Such immersion is precisely what the Ticats’ Defensive Coordinator Casey Creehan has in mind for his prospective players as he looks to mould a unit capable of surviving and thriving in the fast paced and brutally unforgiving environs of the CFL.
So it is that Creehan cuts an imposing figure on the Black and Gold’s training field. Indeed, long before he is spotted the defensive mentor can be heard, exhorting his players to perform on every repetition and in every facet. It makes for a demanding style to say the least, but as Creehan himself explains, his approach is simply designed to mirror what the Ticat hopefuls will see in a competitive situation.
“It’s a passionate game, and it’s got to be played with high emotions,” says the first-year defensive coordinator. “If it’s not, then why are you out there? The game is played at top speeds, and so you’ve got to practice at top speeds to be good at it. So in the middle of camp like this, there are going to be times where guys are going to feel sorry for themselves.
“But you know what? The 30,000 paying customers in the seats don’t care if your groin is sore. So you’ve got to come out here and perform every day, and that’s what we’ve got to push these guys to do.”
Feedback is integral to Creehan’s all-action coaching style, and he is diligent in offering his opinions of a player’s efforts – be they positive or negative – on each and every opportunity. Creehan argues that such constant communication is crucial if a coach truly wishes to fulfill his duties and teach his players.
“You know, we’re out here to coach,” says Creehan. “I believe that you need to be on top of the players all of the time so that they can feel that you’re coaching them. The coach who just stands in the back and doesn’t say anything – that’s just not my style.”
The Ticats’ Defensive Coordinator believes that the response from his players thus far has been a positive one, knowing as they do that listening and improving is a must if they wish to catch on with the club.
“It’s been good,” says Creehan of his defenders’ collective attitude. “We’ve got a good group of players, and they’re all in battles for their jobs so it really has to be good. They’ve got to be able to come out here and perform on a daily basis.”
The Defensive Coordinator plans to build that performance ability from the ground up, indicating that at this early stage of the Ticats’ long journey the focus of his staff is centered squarely on teaching the fundamentals of defensive football.
“We’re keeping things very slow and very basic,” explains Creehan. “Today in practice we played the exact same call that we put in on the first day of practice, and we played with it for the whole day. I’m interested in the guys learning how to play the game fundamentally, how to pursue the ball, how to tackle and how to get off blocks. Until we can get the basics down, we won’t move on to more elaborate defences.
“It’s all technical with me. We are more worried about the elementary aspects of football at this stage. We’ve got plenty of time yet to put the schemes in.”
Regardless of the individual schemes it employs, Creehan has a very strong notion of the character he wishes to instill in his defensive unit.
“It’s going to be an in-your-face, attacking press all day,” says the Defensive Coordinator resolutely.
While Creehan puts the technical building blocks in place, fans of smash-mouth football among the Ticats’ faithful should be salivating at the prospect of seeing his final product unveiled. Because if his own example is any indication, Creehan’s unit should be a truly fearsome thing to behold.
