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JENNIFER BURCHILL
GEROLD DICKENS
ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
CO-FOUNDER, PRO-ACTIVE SPORTS ACADEME
Before a football is
Gerold Dickens had
passed, a baseball is pitched or a soccer ball is booted, Hillsborough County Assistant Athletic Director Jennifer Burchill has already worked tirelessly to make sure the games go on without a hitch. Together with Director of Athletics Lanness Robinson, Burchill schedules every game in every sport for all 27 public high schools in her county. Burchill, who has been at her post since 2000, also schedules the games for all 48 public middle schools in Hillsborough. “Unlike many other counties in Florida, we are centrally funded,” Burchill said. “We oversee the budget for equipment, uniforms, transportation, security, officials and more. “My greatest fear is to have a stadium full of people and no referees to run a game.” Thanks to Burchill’s tireless efforts, that doesn’t happen. Burchill’s biggest challenges happen when inclement weather forces games to be postponed, which happens frequently during baseball and softball seasons. Fall sports – including football – are often postponed due to hurricanes. But, despite those issues, Burchill said her job is highly rewarding. The proof is in the pudding as Hillsborough County football programs have become perennial contenders and have won seven state football championships since 2003. “Seeing individuals and teams from our county succeed is a joy,” she said. “I love seeing kids earn scholarships to further their education and continue their athletic careers. “When I started in this office, we had very few teams represent us at state. That has changed completely, including in football with teams such as Armwood, Plant, Jefferson and others. It’s very exciting.”
an unbelievable experience at the University of Florida, helping the Gators win their first two SEC titles, in 1984 and ’85. But it almost never happened for Dickens. “My high school (Plant City) went 5-5 my senior year,” said Dickens, a former linebacker. “Florida would’ve never offered me a scholarship had I not gone to one of their camps. It gave me separation and allowed me to show my individual talent.” Decades later, Dickens has made it his business – and, he believes, his calling – to help the next generation of football players make their marks. Since 2006, Dickens and fellow co-founder Hasani Jackson have run a program that was once called “Next Level” and was rebranded a couple of years ago as Pro-Active Sports Academe in Plant City. The rebranding effort comes complete with a unique spelling of the word “academy.” Backed by key board members Denise Major and Gary Givens, Pro-Active has been able to positively impact local high school football. “We provide evaluation, training, development and exposure,” Dickens said. “We are here to support high school coaches and help develop talent. “Our players compete in 7-on-7s against elite talent, which helps them improve and also gives them exposure from college coaches.” Dickens and his group settled on the name Pro-Active because it is not his group’s philosophy to wait to be recruited. Members of his academy are proactive, and he uses his know-how and connections to steer players into what events he believes that will give them the most exposure. “We’re able to educate the parents along the way,” Dickens said. “For a lot of them, this is their first time going through the recruiting process.”
CHIP & C.J. BENNETT INSTRUCTORS, THE STABLE
Chip Bennett raised a quarterback who went on to play college football – his son C.J. – and he has been “passing” his knowledge on to others ever since. C.J. played three years at South Alabama and one season at Murray State, and, until very recently, he coached running backs at Samford University. These days, C.J. is back home in Tampa, working with his father and former Arena League quarterback John Kaleo, who is also an NFL regional combine director. Together, they serve as instructors for “The Stable,” the unofficial name for a collection of quarterbacks that includes former Tampa Bay area standouts such as Chase Litton (Chiefs) and Alex McGough (Jaguars). “We do QB-specific drills, focusing on technique, footwork and other nuances,” Chip Bennett said. “We put the quarterbacks in competitive situations with each other.” Kaleo, who coached quarterbacks for two years at Iona and for another two seasons at Towson, is the lead instructor, and the group works with youth and high school passers while still being home for guys who have moved on to college or pro ball. “Once you are in The Stable, you’re always in,” Bennett said. Since 2011, The Stable has helped its quarterbacks earn $4 million in scholarship money, according to Kaleo. The instructors work with quarterbacks virtually year-round – meeting three or four times per week in the summer and on Sundays during the season. Young quarterbacks are schooled on the field as well as on a white board, teaching them how to read defenses and perfect their throwing motions. “These days,” Bennett said, “it’s not uncommon for players to get specialized, outside coaching.”
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