Indian Hills’ flag football program needed a new head coach in the offseason, and they are extremely lucky to have the new flag football coach be rookie coach, Coach Danielle McCartan. When the Jets first sponsored the program in 2021, Coach McCartan was unfortunately not allowed to begin her coaching career at either Ramapo or Indian Hills, but she patiently waited and was eventually rewarded with the Indian Hills coaching job presented to her by our own Coach Buccino when there was an open spot. Coach McCartan hopes to expand the game of flag football throughout New Jersey, and as she comments, “…ultimately, of course, my ultimate goal for the program is to win a championship at MetLife Stadium.”
In Coach McCartan’s daily life, she has to balance teaching, coaching, appearing on PIX 11’s Yankees Nation, and being a radio host of WFAN. Doing all of these activities requires lots of time management skills, which Coach McCartan happens to be very good at, from playing sports all her life. There are some sacrifices required each and every day, but that is what happens when a balance is needed in an everyday situation. McCartan shares her experiences, “I’ve left my cousin’s Saturday night wedding early to drive into Manhattan for my overnight shift. I’ve also worked all night, then attended my friend’s baby shower on Sunday morning with no sleep.”
To prepare for her shows, Coach McCartan instead skips lunch and social opportunities at her middle school job to make sure she can present a great show. She continues, “Those are just some of the tricks I’ve learned over the years, so I can maximize my time to be the best I could possibly be in all of my various roles.”
As for the flag football team, McCartan likes to replicate as many game situations as possible for the benefit of her team on practice days. Her motto is “practice like you play,” no matter what sport she is coaching, because a player needs to put as much effort in practice to put the same amount of effort in a game. McCartan compares this to her teaching job, as she reflects, “…you can’t teach and practice a topic with your class one way, then assess them in a different way.” Coach McCartan has treated all of her players with respect and has pushed them to be the best flag football players they can be in practice. This practice strategy has transferred to games, as Sophomore Zafina Ajka comments, “Coach McCartan has treated everyone on the team really well; she cares about our physical and mental health and is always checking up on us when we get injured. She always has our backs when the refs call something or if a girl is being too physical on the field.”So far this flag football season, the team has improved astronomically, as they went from struggling to score to now keeping every game they play close and winnable.
During the week of 5/1, the girls won two straight games, for the first time since the 2022 season. Their first win was against Lakeland on 5/1, where they came back from a 12-0 deficit after halftime, scoring 14 unanswered points in the second half. The second game on 5/3 was against Paramus, who were 4-1-1 at the time, where they beat them in a close 19-18 matchup. This season, McCartan’s Braves have already been able to play a game at the Jets’ training facility, which Coach McCartan adds “was a surreal experience!” The Indian Hills flag football program has a bright future ahead of them with their rookie coach Danielle McCartan, and they are lucky to have her!
