“I’m very excited about getting the position of head coach. It has been a personal goal of mine since I began coaching,” says Dave Shiffer.

So far, coaching for Shiffer has been nothing but great. Shiffer is happy with his athletes and how they work hard towards the goal of getting better each week. The Pine Grove Community has been fantastic for Shiffer. As for the football program, his hopes are that his team gets better each time they take the field.

“A major long-term goal is to build our program into a consistently competitive program,” says Shiffer. 

The most challenging thing being a new coach is coming into a new program and having to build a foundation. “No one sees the foundations when building something,” says Shiffer.

It is going to be tough to establish how things are done in order to build a program. Shiffer began coaching because he enjoyed his experiences while playing football and he wants to pass it on to others. He wants to share those experiences with the next generation. Shiffer’s favorite thing about coaching is seeing his athletes succeed.

“I enjoy seeing how it boosts their confidence when they have success,” says Shiffer. He found his love for football in 5th grade. Shiffer just could not find the excitement in other sports like he did in football. Shiffer loves the fast paced physical nature of football. 

In addition to gaining his position as football head coach, Shiffer has also become a guidance counselor in the high school. He loves the position of school counselor. 

“I always wanted the opportunity to help as many students as I can and this is the perfect role to be able to do that,” says Shiffer. 

The career change has been a big shift for Shiffer. Going from teaching 2nd and 3rd grade to interacting with high schoolers is a big change but a good one for Shiffer. 

“I love it, it’s such a different world and you get to see more personalities,” says Shiffer. 

The small town, close knit dynamic is something that Shiffer likes. He likes having new conversations with students everyday.