The man at the helm of the Westshore Rebels’ remarkable turnaround has decided to step away from the team.
Head coach J.C. Boice, hired by the then-struggling Rebels organization two years ago, announced on Friday that he has resigned from the club that he led to a B.C. Football Conference title last year, citing a desire to spend more time with his family and focus on his work with the National Football Academy, a player development company that he co-owns.
The decision to step away from the team was a difficult one, Boice explained.
“It’s something that I really laboured on. I know it’s the right decision but I’m not comfortable with it. I still feel like there’s things left undone,” he said.
Boice initially joined a Rebels team that had languished near the bottom of the BCFC standings for years. Westshore went 2-8 in Boice’s first year on the sidelines, but a strong group of new recruits and improvement from returning players led the team on a remarkable ride in 2016 that ended in a Cullen Cup B.C. title and a Canadian Bowl appearance.
“I’m going to miss hearing my daughter sing the national anthem and I’m going to miss going to battle with those kids. I literally watched young men make decisive life choices where they went from being scared kids that weren’t sure what was going to happen to ... going out there and imposing their will.
“That was an incredibly rewarding thing.”
The resignation didn’t come as a shock to general manager Jonathan Poppitt, as the amount of volunteer time and energy that a coach has to commit to running a successful program makes the role a daunting one.
“It’s a lot of work. It’s a big grind and a lot of commitment and a lot of time away from your family ... I certainly don’t blame him,” Poppitt said.
“He did a fantastic job getting the Rebels on a complete 180-degree turnaround. I think he just had to do what was right for his family.”
Long hours without any financial compensation admittedly wore on Boice and that played a role in his decision to quit.
“To be successful takes so much time, time away from the family, time away from the business ... I would do it (for free) if I was in a position to do that, but I’m simply not in that position,” he said.
Poppitt hadn’t lined up any interviews with potential replacement coaches as of Friday, but hopes to have a new coach in place within the next couple of weeks.
Associate head coach Shane Beatty, who had a wildly successful run as the head coach of the Okanagan Sun prior to moving to the Rebels last year, would appear to be a natural fit as the team’s next head coach, but he remains unsure of his plans for 2017.
Looking ahead, Boice wouldn’t rule out coming back to the organization in the future and the Saanich resident says he may be seen from time to time at Rebels practices and games when he’s not on the road with the NFA.
“When I die and they do the autopsy there’s going to be a giant, red Rebel ‘R’ in the middle of my soul,” he said.
joel.tansey@goldstreamgazette.com