Mitty Football and Ron Demonner

MITTY FOOTBALL 2022

Mitty Football and Ron Demonner

4/23/2022

4/23/2022 10:04:07 pm

It was 1971...I was a freshman and pumped to be at Buck Shaw Stadium with 10,000 screaming fans of Mitty vs.Bellarmine football with a season, a championship, and a psychic wound about to be exercised into the history books of Monarch Football. Coach Demonner's first WCAL championship and the name "Mitty" was on the Santa Clara Valley map! 3 years later, we went undefeated in WCAL play and gave Coach another reason to smile.

I have never forgotten the words of Coach,... "you either get better... or you get worse...because nothing stays the same".

The film room on Mondays was the most significant aspect of my development. Every play... Every player,... analyzed for effort, technique, and soundly praised or criticized with verifiable evidence. It was the most significant learning tool I have carried with me throughout my career. Lead, be accountable, enjoy the fundamentals , and make sure your staff believes in the process. And you will achieve your goals!

Ron, we had conversations and discussions that ranged from football to family, and at the center was always... respect.

Thank you... I will never forget.

Craig Watkins link

4/26/2022 09:52:41 am

In 1972 I had two good friends invite me to come over to Mitty to check out the school. They were already going to Mitty and really loved their coach. I took them up on their offer and walked around and explored the campus with them, also meeting Coach DeMonner. I later invited the coach over to my house to meet with my parents. They also liked him. My parents expressed concern for the tuition of $500, for me to attend Mitty. I promised my father if he paid for my high school I would pay for my college. Over the next three years Coach DeMonner pushed me academically as well as athletically to become the best I could become.
Ron was an amazing man, who holds a certain place in my heart. He really became a second father for me. I know this was just his nature, treating his athletes as his children, shaping men to be both great people and athletes really was his passion in life. As I think back, he was only 27 years old-about 10 years older than the rest of us but had the maturity of Vince Lombardi, who was probably one of his greatest heroes. Coach DeMonner is certainly one of my greatest heroes. I’m not sure I would’ve grown in life as much as I have without his encouragement, discipline and love. I earned a scholarship to the University of California Berkeley and from time to time I would meet up with Ron, where within five minutes of seeing him, he was telling me how much he loved me. Coach DeMonner always had that special bridge of being both a parent who loves you and a coach who pushes you to be the best you can be. I miss him all the time. On the days I miss him most, I reflect on all the ways he shaped me to be the man I have become.

Mitty Football and Ron Demonner

Leave a Reply.

Author

Archives

Categories

​

Mitty Football and Ron Demonner

Leave a Reply.

Author

Archives

Categories