“5 Questions With…” is a new monthly column that will feature 5-question interviews with the students, faculty, and staff at Law that are making news in and out of the classroom.

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February 26, 2016

By Ian Hugo – Sports Editor

Erik Larka has recently been hired as the new head coach of the Jonathan Law football team after spending the last two years as the head coach of Bacon Academy. He is looking forward to getting started rebuilding Law’s football program.

Ian Hugo: Are you excited for this opportunity as head coach of Law?

Coach Larka: To say I am excited would be a huge understatement. I graduated from Law in 1995 and then came back to help coach in 2004 but to be able to be the head coach is a dream come true.

IH: What are your goals for the upcoming season?

CL: My goals are to infuse fun back into the program, compete in everything that we do and never give up on each other.  I also want each and every student athlete and coach to get better every single day.

IH: What will you do to help the team get ready in the off season?

CL: We will live by the motto – “Hard Work. Dedication.” I will make sure that we are outworking every single team that we play this season.  We will have an intensive training regimen that will consist of Olympic lifts, crossfit and speed training. We will enter passing leagues, attend team camps, and have many team bonding events.   

IH: Which challenges are you most looking forward to tackling as new head coach?

CL: I am looking forward to changing the mindset of the players, school, and community in regards to the football program. I am also excited to start the process of building the number of athletes that come out for football. Most importantly, I am looking forward to building relationships with the players and their families.

IH: How do you plan on creating a bond with the players, especially the players who will be seniors during the season, so that they see you as a coach and person who they can trust and has their best interests, on and off the field, in mind and not just another coach?

CL: We will do a lot of off season team bonding events. Ideas I have are bowling, movies, team trip to a local college game, team dinners…etc. I will also attend all team lifting sessions, passing league games and other sports games that the players may be involved in. I plan to be a steady fixture roaming the halls at Law and attending school events.