Matt Chartier is a wide receiver’s coach for the JV Cumberland Panthers. Previously, Chartier coached with the Bel-Air Lions Bantam team, starting as the offensive coordinator in his first year and then as head coach for three years, winning back to back championships in 2014 and 2015.
Chartier played a variety of different sports throughout his childhood and high school years, such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, ultimate frisbee, baseball and touch football. Chartier played football from age seven to 19 with the Bel-Air Lions. He also played one season with the Myers Riders JV team as well as two years of high school football at Holy Trinity.
Chartier played a variety of different sports throughout his childhood and high school years, such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, ultimate frisbee, baseball and touch football. Chartier played football from age seven to 19 with the Bel-Air Lions. He also played one season with the Myers Riders JV team as well as two years of high school football at Holy Trinity.
Chartier decided to start coaching because of his passion for the game. “Playing the game, I was honoured enough to be coached by some of the best coaches in our city and took valuable information from all of them. Whether it was the X's and O's or passion and dedication each of my coaches left something very important with me year to year. I found once I lost the desire to play it was my turn to develop the young players in our city.” explains Chartier.
Being a part of the player development is Chartier’s favourite part about coaching. “Not only teaching the game, systems, plays or fundamentals; but watching a player turn into a student of the game. There is nothing that makes me more proud of a player like when they are able to help their peers during learning periods or chalk talk sessions.” says Chartier.
“The most rewarding feeling I have had as a coach was in my first year as a head coach. That year we were coaching a very young, athletic team who just had a desire to work hard and put the extra effort in. They needed lots of work with X's and O's but they had a fire that just could not be coached. As they developed year to year, they just weren't able to put it together as a group to win it all. Even though our 5-3 record didn't scare to many people leading into those playoffs their competitiveness and fight did. I and my staff made a vow to make sure those boys won that year; by being positive, reassuring them when they were down and never putting them in a bad situation. Needless to say those boys earned their win and my most rewarding moment was seeing their smiles hoisting their hard work in the air.” says Chartier.
Chartier’s biggest challenge as a coach was in his first year of coaching. “I was heading into my first season with Bel-Air as an offensive coordinator with aspirations of running an extravagant, next level style of offence. When I arrived and tried to put in this style of system I hadn't thought that half of the roster has never put on pads before. My complex system just was not built for these kids. I recently heard some amazing advice from Mark Nelson, Ottawa RedBlack's Defensive Coordinator, at a Coaching Clinic. To sum up what he said; don't get to caught up in your ways and remember it's about the kids and do everything you can to put them in the best possible situation to succeed. So that is what I did, I had to re-vamp and scale back significantly to put those kids in a situation to succeed. We ended up having a pretty great season, but our inexperience was exposed versus the higher experienced teams.” says Chartier.
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