Sophomore Courtney Clemons is a highflyer quarterback for Carlsbad’s varsity flag football team, coached offensively by her father Jeremy Clemons. Their bond brings a unique dynamic that enhances the team’s chemistry and reflects their strong understanding on the field.
The girls flag football team has had a strong season so far this year, with the varsity team holding a near perfect record. Only going into the second season of flag football at CHS, the team is already at #2 in the San Diego area.
“Part of my role on the coaching staff is to help the team understand the offensive system,” Coach Clemons said. “Execute plays properly, and compete at a high level with other top programs.”
The quarterback is the backbone of flag football, shaping the flow of the entire game. As a sophomore and the varsity quarterback, Courtney often faces intense pressure in both games and practices.
“I feel like I’m held to a higher standard because everyone knows my dad is one of the coaches,” Clemons said. “They expect me to be better because of that.”
Courtney and her dad have been involved in sports together for years and it has always been special to them. They have shared a strong bond through sports from watching games on TV to her dad coaching her, his influence has been a constant in her athletic life.
“I definitely could work on respecting him more,” Clemons said. “Rather than a coach because I feel like I treat him differently than the other coaches.”
Flag football is a game of high competition meaning there is a degree of strategy that gets involved and especially since the team is ranked high, it makes the plays even more critical to execute. Outside of the field, the pair often discuss the plays and how the different situations will work during the game.
“It’s a lot of preparation at home and we talk about it a ton,” Clemons said. “It’s just cool that we have that relationship at home as well.”
Favoritism is a common concern in sports, often raising questions about fairness and this issue becomes more complicated when family dynamics are involved. In such cases, some may wonder whether such treatment is happening.
“No one really sees a difference,” sophomore Amanda Aldover said. “He still treats her like another teammate and it’s great to see how they work [together].”
The understanding on the field between the coach and daughter strengthens the team culture. Their relationship makes their plays execute more efficiently and helps to foster a supportive environment between the teammates.
“It’s super fun to see they both work in unison and they know what each other is thinking and know how to fix it, ” Aldover said. “[They] know what to do properly without having to communicate too much.”
Since Courtney and her dad have always shared a deep bond through sports, balancing the roles of coach and parent isn’t always easy. Coach Clemons has a demanding schedule, between working with both JV and varsity teams while trying to balance his personal life.
“It’s a challenge to be both a parent and a coach,” Coach Clemons said. “We do our best to compartmentalize the time on the field together, where our relationship is coach and player, compared to our time outside of sports, where it is a typical father and daughter relationship.”
With the sport constantly evolving the team is constantly updated with different occasions to play in even higher level tournaments strengthening this impact. Beyond family ties, the growth of flag football itself motivates Coach Clemons to keep building the program and helping the players grow.
“My inspiration for getting involved in flag football coaching was a combination of my passion for the strategic part of football game planning, ” Coach Clemons said. “Play calling coupled with Courtney’s natural ability.”
The journey between Courtney and her dad has not only grown their bond, but also left an impact on the team. As flag football continues to grow and create new opportunities, their shared experiences on the team together has reflected what the game is all about.
“The emergence of flag football as a competitive sport gave us the opportunity to see how much she could grow as a quarterback,” Coach Clemons said. “ [Also how] I could grow as a coach.”
