The Port Washington School District has hired Adam Hovorka, a coach with experience at several Long Island high schools, as its a new head football coach.
“Adam was the absolute best pick for the job,” said Stephanie Joannon, director of health, physical education and athletics. “He brings experience in high school coaching at every level, and I really liked his vision and what he wanted to bring to the Port Washington football program.’’
Hovorka, who played football at the college level at Stony Brook, is a physical education and special education teacher currently working part time at Baldwin High School.
He has experience as a high school assistant coach and head coach. At Oyster Bay High School, he served as an assistant coach from 2003-05. At Amityville High School, he served as an assistant from 2005-2012 and head coach in 2013.
In 2014, he was the head junior varsity coach at Baldwin High School. In 2014, he was an assistant coach at Deer Park High School.
At every stop along Hovorka’s coaching career, when he served as an assistant coach, he was also the defensive coordinator.
“My main goal for the program is to be competitive,” Hovorka said. “As a team, we’ll have fun and compete, while improving at all different aspects of the game and play together as a team.”
Last season, the Vikings finished the season 1-7, tying for last in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Section VII Conference 1 football standings.
The Vikings defeated Valley Stream Central, 13-12, for their only win of the season on Sept. 19.
“This season is a fresh start,” Hovorka said. “It all starts in the weight room and now in the offseason. We all have to work together, from the coaches to the players.”
Hovorka said he’s excited about the opportunity to coach in the district and he’s looking forward to changing the culture around the program.
“I’m bringing in a new system and it’s important that everyone catches on to the main things I’ll be preaching: toughness, effort, athleticism and mentoring. That spells team and that’s what I am about.”
“I really liked Adam’s attitude and vision,” Joannon said. “He was anxious for a head coaching job, so he could have his own program and he had a great attitude — the type of attitude and experience that you look for in a coach. He’s a teacher first.”
Hovorka said he hired a full staff of coaches who have the same vision and outlook on the game as he does, and that in the brief time he’s known them, they’ve been positive about the program and the coming season.
The Vikings’ first practice was Aug. 15, and Hovorka said that from the first day of practice, the team will be training hard for the first game on Sept. 10.
This season, however, the Vikings will be playing an independent schedule, after appealing its conference placement in the offseason.
The Vikings will open the season at home against Pelham Memorial at 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 10.
“I think playing an independent schedule is a great opportunity for everyone,” Hovorka said. “It’s special that we’ll be traveling off Long Island.”
The team, Hovorka said, will be traveling to the games in coach buses and is looking forward to challenging opponents from other areas of New York.
