ST. PAUL – Standing at the sidelines surrounded by players and co-coaches, Derek Zapisocki’s voice echoes while directing the St. Paul Bengals as they play the Cold Lake Ravens, Sept. 23.
Zapisocki is the new head coach for the St. Paul bantam football team, replacing long-time football coach Todd Tanasichuk earlier this year.
For over 20 years, Tanasichuk coached teams within the St. Paul football program – 18 of those years were spent as a head coach. He coached the St. Paul Lions for 12 years from 2003 until 2015. There was also a year when he coached the Bengals between those years, prior to becoming the bantam team’s head coach in 2015, wrapping up the 2022 season with a Wheatland Bantam Football League championship.
When asked why Tanasichuk is taking a step back, the former head coach described it as a lifestyle decision.
“I’d say... wanting to spend more time with my wife. Our kids are also not in the community anymore, so I want to be able to go and see them more often,” said Tanasichuk, before noting he will still be involved with football. But the number of hours he will put in helping out as an assistant coach will be less than his commitment as head coach.
Zapisocki has been coaching with the St. Paul football program for 14 years. This year marks his first year as a head coach.
Asked how he felt taking over, Zapisocki says there is some pressure.
“I mean I’m taking over for [Tanasichuk]… they’re big shoes to fill,” he acknowledged, but he’s equally excited for the opportunity, and feels confident moving forward.
Of course, Zapisocki is not coaching alone, and the other coaches helping on the sidelines are all knowledgeable and bring a lot of passion and energy to the team. He thanked Tanasichuk for sticking around to help out.
This year marks the sixth year the two coaches have been coaching together. “And he realized that it was time for me to step up, I guess. He pushed me towards doing it,” says Zapisocki.
Tanasichuk expressed his confidence in the new head coach.
“[Zapisocki] has been ready for this for a while... ready to have a bigger role.” Part of Tanasichuk’s decision to step back was also to give younger people the opportunity to grow as coaches.
“And I felt confident that [Zapisocki] was ready and that he would do a good job.”
And looking at how the season has started for the Bengals, it appears that Tanasichuk was right.
Perfect record
Prior to playing the Cold Lake Ravens on Sept. 23, the Bengals took on the Lloydminster Chargers on Sept. 9, winning 33-6. The Bengals also played the Bonnyville Bandits on Sept. 16, winning that game 27-6.
That momentum continued as they welcomed Cold Lake to the field at St. Paul Regional High School on Saturday.
While there were a few hiccups in the first quarter, with neither team scoring, the Bengals stepped it up in the second quarter. The Bengals ended the first half 23-0.
The Bengals kept rallying in the second half of the game, before ultimately winning the game 51-6.
Zapisocki commended the team for the win. While the team came out flat in the first quarter, being able to turn it around is great. He says he tells his players that good teams must always show up, even against tough teams, and play as hard as they can.
This is what the Bengals did, says Zapisocki. “They didn’t take their foot off the pedal. So, that’s good to see.”
Success in football, according to Zapisocki, depends a lot on the mentality of the players, and how they come together as a team. “This is them that play the game. We just get them ready,” says the coach.
Tanasichuk agrees, adding that football, to him, is more than just a game. It teaches players skills they can use throughout their life, such as how to be a good teammate, how to have a good work ethic, and the importance of fulfilling commitments.
“That’s what being a team is all about. It’s not letting your teammates down. Football is the ultimate team sport, I would say,” says Tanasichuk.
