Before coming to the field at 4:18, Woodgrove football coaches Dr. Brett Siegel, Mr. Jerry Dabkowski and Mr. Zach Gargan have different jobs around the community. When they are not leading the team to victory, they spend their time teaching a class of 30 freshmen the complexities of US history, managing billions of dollars of construction equipment or even helping patients reach their desired smiles.
“Yo coach, can you make me a grill?” was the reaction of the Woodgrove football players upon finding out that ‘Coach’ Siegel is also Dr. Siegel, who works as a dentist at Norbo Dental in Purcellville. In college, Siegel balanced playing football with majoring in Biology and Pre-Dental at James Madison University. At work, Siegel gets to help all kinds of people. No matter who they are, they all have teeth. “What I really like about it is getting to talk to people of all walks of life from ages 0 to 99,” Siegel claimed.
At first glance, it might not seem like there are similarities between the delicacy of dentistry and the brutality of football. However, many skills transfer between the two. “In football, there’s leadership, communication, discipline, hardwork and execution, and in dentistry, performing procedures, I have to have discipline, execution and good communication with my team,” Siegel said.
Another one of Woodgrove’s coaches, Dabkowski, spends his day in meetings working as a program manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Out of college, Dabkowksi got involved in construction, starting work at a geotechnical firm here in Purcellville. He worked his way up and soon became the branch chief, who is responsible for managing billions of dollars of construction equipment. He played football growing up and then began coaching, which he has been doing for close to 20 years. Between football every day and the early mornings and late nights making phone calls and communicating with people overseas, it is crucial to maintain a schedule. “You just have to be organized and well-prepared for what you do. You have to be a good time manager,” Dabkowksi stated.
Coach Gargan joined the Woodgrove coaching staff last season and also joined the Woodgrove history department for the 24-25 school year. Gargan first went to school for engineering, but after deciding it was not for him, his mom suggested he follow the family tradition of being a teacher. “I liked history. If I had to teach anything, it wasn’t going to be math or English, so I decided history,” commented Gargan. He has taught a vast variety of histories ranging from 6th grade US history to 8th grade civics, but his favorite by far is AP Economics.
For Gargan, teaching and coaching happened simultaneously. His first year teaching, 15 years ago in 2009, was also his first year coaching football for the local middle school team. After playing football growing up, being recruited and deciding it was not for him, coaching became his hobby. Through coaching, Gargan learned everything overlaps. “Being a teacher and a coach at the same time is worth it, because you take what you learn as a teacher and apply it to coaching,” Gargan remarked. Having both jobs also requires balance and setting priorities; for Gargan, that is time with his family. “When I get home, it’s dad time. I put my phone away, I put everything away and just be with the kids,” Gargan explained.
Although their jobs are very different, the common thread that links the Woodgrove Football Coaches together, both on and off the field, is passion, discipline and a love for what they do.