At Apex High School there are many amazing coaches in the athletic programs, some even double dip. One of those is Coach Noah Rutledge, not to be confused with his mom, Coach Rutledge at Apex is the head JV coach for football and lacrosse along with being on the varsity staff as well for both. Now there are obvious differences in sports, and tactics of course, but this article is to give readers the deeper differences of coaching technique between the two sports. 

At Apex the programs share a handful of athletes who participate in both sports, but the main difference is the type of kids playing the sports. In an interview Coach Rutledge was asked about the diversity of personalities and how they differ between the sports. The question was “Is there any big difference in the type of kids that play football versus lacrosse, and the way that changes your coaching”, Coach Rutledge’s response was “No overall. I think it’s more about getting the players mindset right and that can vary. A lot of kids come from different backgrounds and walks of life, so that can make their perspective different. Getting them to buy into the culture and be a part of something can vary, but overall I think coaching remains the same.” So despite the different walks of life of his players Coach Rutledge philosophy stays the same, “My philosophy has been built on establishing a winning culture and building personal relationships”.

A huge difference between football and lacrosse is going to be roster size, Coach Rutledge believes football stands around 65, while lacrosse is about 25. This will bring many different styles to the coaching plane, “I think it allows me to create extremely close bonds with the lacrosse team”. This is much preferred for Coach Rutledge himself versus what he goes through in football, “Because I am a relationship based coach I enjoy that part of coaching more than anything, but the smaller team allows me to really get to know everyone and them know me.” Not only does he recognize how it affects him, but also affects the team as well, “I think it creates tighter team chemistry between a coach and the players”. 

Coach Rutledge has experienced a lot of success in both fields finishing 30-13-1 in 4 seasons of coaching with 3 second place conference finishes. His insight has been proven to be among the top in not just the building but the area. He gives a great interview to help readers understand his opinions on the differences of culture in different sports.