How Santa Margarita’s Emily Regitz became a coaching intern
With aviator sunglasses, an iPad and a clipboard in hand, 17-year-old Emily Regitz looks primed and ready for her duties as a coaching intern for the Santa Margarita High football team.
You’ve heard of seniors transferring to a school to get more playing time, to get in touch with college recruiters, or to try to be part of a championship team. Regitz could be the first to transfer to a school to coach in the Trinity League.
Her attitude fits perfectly with her goal of coaching in college and the pros, and that means not saying “no” to any request, whether it’s carrying water bottles, picking up trash or breaking down videos.
Rams coach Sean McVay started the same way.
She is known as Coach Em. Last season, she attended Newport Harbor and learned from defensive coordinator Jon Arredondo while also helping coach the defensive line, which happened to include her brother Trey. If big brother doesn’t mind being trained by his sister, no one should have any doubts.
This is not the case in Santa Margarita.
“When she came, we told the boys, ‘She’s here, she’s going to train.’ No matter how old you are, respect is the top priority,” said head coach Anthony Rouzier. “You know Coach Em listens when he talks. It is also a unique situation for her because she is a student. She did a great job reading the room.
“You can come in and be given a platform for power, and sometimes young coaches don’t know how to use it because they feel obligated to wield it rather than build relationships.” What impressed Em is that he’s always ready to help and not be ahead of any job. You have to be willing to do any job.”
Regitz said she was a soccer player for 12 years before giving up the sport after a series of injuries. She got involved in watching her brother play soccer and soon came to the conclusion that she wanted to become a coach. Getting up at 4:30 a.m. to prepare for training in Newport Harbor was no big deal.
At Santa Margarita, she can be found alongside Arredondo as a defensive player during games. Arredondo, Santa Margarita’s new defensive coordinator, recommended her to Rouzier. During school time, she stays quite busy, not only with her own classes and homework, but also with preparing game cards, scout cards, and training schedules for the soccer team.
She was busy on Thursday evening. Santa Margarita defeated Bishop Amat 51-42 behind six touchdowns from sophomore Trent Mosley.
One of the requirements of a future college coach is evaluating talent, so Regitz was asked what she thought of Mosley, a receiver.
“Obviously he has speed and talent,” she said.
She then compared him to the Rams’ Cooper Kupp, saying both had the “ability to move around a lot.”
Smart coach.
When it comes to passion and commitment, Coach Em certainly has that and more to pursue his path as a football coach.
“She invested in learning the language, the process and the exercises,” Arredondo said.
So far, so good. She hasn’t had to eject a player, and if one causes problems, her big brother Trey is always there. He plays football at Wheaton College, but knows his sister can take matters into her own hands.
