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08/16/2005: "Creating a winning team!"

Thunderbirds football squad lays building blocks for success in 2005

By Heather Douglas

It’s been a few years since the Central Minnesota Thunderbirds semi-pro football team has won a league or national championship. But the players and coaches say this year just might be the one.
The Thunderbirds, whose home field is on the campus of St. John’s University, won the Mid-America Football League (MFL) Championship in 2001 and finished as runners up in 2002. The squad used a pair of seasons to regroup and rebuild and is ready to shoot for the title again in 2005.
“Our specific goal for this year is to win the MFL Championship and make a run in the national playoffs,” said Ray Reinhart, a five year member of the Thunderbirds organization and former MFL Player of the Year.
They just might have the team to do it.
After posting a 5-4 record last season, the Thunderbirds – a team consisting of football players from throughout Central Minnesota – began recruiting new players to help make the team even more successful.
One of those players is quarterback Chris Esterly, who has been in the league for nearly a decade and was once voted the Most Valuable Player at the national semi-pro level. Esterly opted to move to the Thunderbird squad this season because of the “family feel” the team had to offer.
“This team...it just seemed they were willing to work harder to get where they want to be,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of good guys who are dedicated.”
Eric Tarasewicz joined the Thunderbirds last season after having played in the same league, but with the Minnesota Maulers.
“Here, we’ve got a team-first attitude,” he said. “People will play out of their positions if it will help the team out.”
Tarasewicz said that last year’s squad was beginning to come together as the season came to a close. With the same core group of players back for more, and other standout athletes being added to the mix, the Thunderbirds are threatening to be one of the best in the league this season – and they haven’t even played a game yet.
“We’re leaps and bounds ahead of where we were last year,” Tarasewicz said.
Reinhart, who also serves as the team’s director of player relations, said that while the team has been recruiting, it isn’t simply looking for good players.
“We’re getting players that, number one, are good people that are going to be team leaders and that are going to represent our team well, and number two, are good athletes and,” he said. “We’re building a tradition of football and family.”
Other Thunderbird players agree.
“The biggest goal is not to win games, but to come together as a team,” said Jeremy Gothman, who is entering his fifth year with the team. “The wins are a bonus.”
Ramon Burroughs said that in pre-season practices which began in March, the team looked solid.
“Our foundation looks good and it’ll only get better,” said the five-year veteran. “As a team, we’re gonna set our goals a little higher than last year.”
It seems the key to this team is simply that – they play together as a team.
Chris Camacho, an eight-year veteran with the Thunderbirds, said that the players who are new this season are only strengthening the bond.
“We brought some new people in – some good players,” he said. “There’s no individuals, it’s a bunch of guys coming together to play football with one goal. They’re all willing to do what it takes to succeed.”
The team is under the direction of Head Coach Chad Baldwin, who took over the squad back in 2000. Baldwin said his philosophy this season is to work backwards from a national championship. He said he imagines what a championship-caliber team would look like, and then breaks it down to determine what steps need to be taken to get to that point.
“If you haven’t determined what great is, how are you going to get there?” he said.
The keys to success, Baldwin said, include having a deep roster, solid financial baking, and having players that can learn the skills necessary to help the team win games.
“Every single guy has a role and without each role player doing their job, we are not going to win a national championship,” Baldwin said.
Even though the goal is to win the MFL title and advance to the national playoffs, the Central Minnesota Thunderbirds are looking even further into the future.
“We’re building a team to go to the national championship, and we’re building towards a solid team that will give players a second chance to play football,” Reinhart said, adding that several MFL players have gone on to play in the Arena Football League and among the European football ranks.
The regular season runs from June to September, with MFL playoffs and a national tournament following in October and November. Whether the team will win a title this year remains to be seen, but players and coaches all seem to agree that every season brings them closer to the success they all dream of.
“Every year we’re getting closer to having a solid group of guys and a team that can compete for a national championship every year,” Reinhart said.
Even with a solid team to work with, Baldwin is making sure not to set his expectations for the season too high.
“I think we have every chance of doing that, but I don’t solely focus on that,” Baldwin said of winning a title. “You have to take it one game, one practice at a time.”
To find out how to become a part of the team, or for Thunderbirds ticket and game information, visit: www.mnthunderbirds.com.