The Washington Redskins announced Nov. 6 that head football coach Greg Malling of Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, Md., has been named Redskins High School Coach of the Week for the week of November 3, 2008.
The Redskins High School Coach of the Week program is designed to recognize and reward excellence in high school football coaching.
Coach Malling has been coaching football for 13 years with this season being his 4th as head football coach at Wootton.
According to football parent volunteer Debbie Dillon, Malling "has brought Wootton football together as one community. The entire school and community are involved in a football program that has long been neglected." Leadership development is a key component to Malling's success.
Each year, the team participates in a "Be an 11" seminar which focuses on going beyond the highest level of achievement and setting goals in order to be accountable for their actions on and off the field. In addition, Malling offers a 10 lesson leadership course and a year-round player development program which is attended by 50-90 athletes per day.
Malling's other contributions to the community include hosting a basic training football camp each summer for young boys and girls and organizing his team to volunteer at local non-profit organizations. He also started Patriot Games, a newspaper run by parent volunteers that connects the community with Wootton sports.
The Patriots are currently 6-3 and are guaranteed their first winning season in 17 years.
Each week during the 2008 high school football season, the Redskins will select one area high school head coach as the Redskins High School Coach of the Week. The selection is based on the coach's continuing commitment towards promoting youth football, developing motivated student-athletes, his overall community involvement and overall team performance and record.
Each of the coaches chosen throughout the high school season will receive a $1,000 donation from NFL Charities to their football program and a framed certificate signed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Redskins Head Coach Jim Zorn and NFL Director of Football Operations Gene Washington.
