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DMA football

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BigDEnd97

Towel boy
Nov 2, 2016
60
39
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Hey fellas,

This is my first new thread post on the site, so go easy on me lol

My son just got accepted into DMA and is interested in playing football while there. He has played for St Margaret CYO team for the past 3 years and has done fairly well. Would any of you be able to offer some insight to us regarding the DMA program? any Pro's and Con's are welcome. We just want to see what we can expect. I know its a smaller DII program that has seen some recent success.

Thanks!
 
DMA may not have the overall talent as some but they are successful because they work hard, are well coached and disciplined. They are not going to step out there as far as scheduling but they typically have a decent schedule for what they are. Your Son would be in the play-off hunt every year for the next 4 IMO. May not make it in every year but they will be in play for it
 
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I am a DMA football parent
Pros:
Recent DMA Success quite a few winning seasons
: Trevor Hill-d3 kings college-
Sean naoghton- d2 millersville
Juwan Morro-d1 Lehigh and
Alpheus Hanson D1 UD walk on.
They make playoffs but don't play great teams like Sallies anymore. You gotta play good teams to get noticed
Have made playoffs 3 times since school has had football team

Cons-the coach. ( ask around)
And three out of the four DMA football college players didn't receive any help from that coach.
 
Last edited:
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Good Luck to your son at DMA. Coach is a good guy. (don't listen to these guys. One of them thought ECA was actually an Academy)
 
I forgot this
Pro: with the new monolithic dome just built at DMA they will be having more students in attendance.. more students more talent. They are "looking" for athletes. So the already decent football team may get even better
 
A co-worker of mine had a nephew who went there and played football. The kid loved the program, even when asked to make a position change to benefit the team. He was not a bit player and played in the Blue/Gold game, so he had some talent. The thing to keep in mind, is that it's a military mindset there. Knowing that, the football team is an extension of that philosophy. Players are part of a unit, with the success of the unit, always placed above that of the individual.
I follow Milford a lot and have watched DMA play them over the last several seasons. They have always appeared to be well prepared, competitive and sportsmanlike. They have made the playoffs the last two seasons as well.
If that sounds like something your son wants to be a part of, then it sounds like a good place for him to be. It's really about where he wants to be in four years and in the future. It's honestly something that needs to be thought of now. the next four years will go by in the blink of an eye. Good luck to your son in the future.
 
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Ikeyfbst2 said:
A co-worker of mine had a nephew who went there and played football. The kid loved the program, even when asked to make a position change to benefit the team. He was not a bit player and played in the Blue/Gold game, so he had some talent. The thing to keep in mind, is that it's a military mindset there. Knowing that, the football team is an extension of that philosophy. Players are part of a unit, with the success of the unit, always placed above that of the individual.
I follow Milford a lot and have watched DMA play them over the last several seasons. They have always appeared to be well prepared, competitive and sportsmanlike. They have made the playoffs the last two seasons as well.
If that sounds like something your son wants to be a part of, then it sounds like a good place for him to be. It's really about where he wants to be in four years and in the future. It's honestly something that needs to be thought of now. the next four years will go by in the blink of an eye. Good luck to your son in the future.
Click to expand...

You pretty much summed it up. A good friend of mine has a current freshman son there now and his son LOVES IT! I watched them play multiple times this year and you are 100% correct on everything you said. What alot of people don't realize is that DMA's student body is made up of alot of kids that would've went to Newark, St. Marks, and St. Elizabeth if DMA wasn't in existence. Look at the football records, team roster size, student population, etc of those 3 schools before DMA opened until now...there's a direct correlation.

Now that their is First State Military Academy in Clayton the same thing will happen in Kent County in regards to the Dover, Polytech and Caesar Rodney.
 
onejeron said:
You pretty much summed it up. A good friend of mine has a current freshman son there now and his son LOVES IT! I watched them play multiple times this year and you are 100% correct on everything you said. What alot of people don't realize is that DMA's student body is made up of alot of kids that would've went to Newark, St. Marks, and St. Elizabeth if DMA wasn't in existence. Look at the football records, team roster size, student population, etc of those 3 schools before DMA opened until now...there's a direct correlation.

Now that their is First State Military Academy in Clayton the same thing will happen in Kent County in regards to the Dover, Polytech and Caesar Rodney.
Click to expand...
Most kids at DMA are in Red Clay so not many would go to Newark
 
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Thanks fellas for the feedback...much appreciated.
My son is coming from outside the red clay district, which I hear is pretty rare.
 
Couple things:
- There are numerous kids from outside Red Clay
- Outstanding coaching staff who cares as much about making them outstanding people as well as good football players.
- Not everyone always gets along with their coaching staff, parents don't always see eye to eye
- They could coach my kids anytime
 
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Coach will win you games, get you into the playoff hunt. Either choke before or first round.
Nice guy but clearly has his favorites.
DMA has been a very successful program tho. A lot of seniors who stay together for 4 years and work well together. I enjoy watching the program but the coach is sometimes too lax and relies on certain kids rather than using all of the talent around him.
To tag along on the college help, seen him have kids who had D1-AA Offers like UD and let them slip away and poor kids end up not going to school at all. Hopefully things have changed..
I can tell you now tho Coach McArdle knows what is up and is a great coach. If your son plays the line, definitely a good guy to know
 
DDBasketballCoach said:
Coach will win you games, get you into the playoff hunt. Either choke before or first round.
Nice guy but clearly has his favorites.
DMA has been a very successful program tho. A lot of seniors who stay together for 4 years and work well together. I enjoy watching the program but the coach is sometimes too lax and relies on certain kids rather than using all of the talent around him.
To tag along on the college help, seen him have kids who had D1-AA Offers like UD and let them slip away and poor kids end up not going to school at all. Hopefully things have changed..
I can tell you now tho Coach McArdle knows what is up and is a great coach. If your son plays the line, definitely a good guy to know
Click to expand...
The coach isn't the only one to blame for offers slipping away.The parents have to be involved to and on the favorites which coach doesn't have favorites it's not like he has tons of talent.Probably has biggest line in the state but they are probably the softest
 
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DDBasketballCoach said:
Coach will win you games, get you into the playoff hunt. Either choke before or first round.
Nice guy but clearly has his favorites.
DMA has been a very successful program tho. A lot of seniors who stay together for 4 years and work well together. I enjoy watching the program but the coach is sometimes too lax and relies on certain kids rather than using all of the talent around him.
To tag along on the college help, seen him have kids who had D1-AA Offers like UD and let them slip away and poor kids end up not going to school at all. Hopefully things have changed..
I can tell you now tho Coach McArdle knows what is up and is a great coach. If your son plays the line, definitely a good guy to know
Click to expand...


McCardle was great. As far as head coach and D1 offers. He's only been at DMA three years. And only one student has ever had a D1 offer for football. So you surely must mean Mckean kids with these offers.
As far as not going far in the playoff hunt- well when you don't play top notch teams during the season because you want to be sure to get into playoffs you're not seeing what competition really looks like.
DMA football is going to probably be good soon. They are accepting new students and the AD who is also football coach is high school recruiting at its finest.
 
Seems like a mixed bag... but that can be said for any school it seems, esp on these boards. lol does the school have a freshman/ JV team? it would seem like they don't being so small.
 
Yeah, they have all 3 levels. Pretty decent amount of kids in the program. Smaller schedules tho. JV had about 6-8 and Freshmen only about 5
 
With the Diamond State Conference adding Charter, Red Lion and 1st State Military that gives them the numbers for a football conference and a auto bid to states

DSC

Archmere, DMA, Conrad, Red Lion, Charter and 1st State Mil.
 
DMA enrollment will not be D1 anytime soon. Even with the new building i think it's capped at 750 total.

And how does it work for auto bid having a D1 team in the same conference with all D2 schools?
 
FuriousFour said:
DMA enrollment will not be D1 anytime soon. Even with the new building i think it's capped at 750 total.

And how does it work for auto bid having a D1 team in the same conference with all D2 schools?
Click to expand...
Not really sure. The DSC prez didn't discuss that in the article. I would guess being you only need 5 teams to have a conference and they have 6 the D1 team would't me eligible for auto bid..or maybe Charter will petition DIAA to be D2 don't know for sure but that is a good ?
 
This is from the article


Diamond State expands
Charter of Wilmington decided to leave the conference, but quickly found a new home in the rapidly expanding Diamond State Conference.

The DSC will add four schools – Charter of Wilmington, Red Lion Christian Academy, First State Military Academy and MOT Charter – to its roster for the 2017-18 school year. Longtime Diamond State member Wilmington Christian will transition to the Independent Conference, so the DSC will expand from five schools to eight.

“It’s the compilation of the four schools that are coming in that make it a very interesting conference,” said Archmere athletic director Dave Oswinkle, who doubles as president of the Diamond State Conference. “We’re going to be able to petition DIAA that we have enough teams for a football conference, and in all other sports it will give us a chance to earn automatic bids to state tournaments. And it solidifies the conference with better scheduling for everybody.”

Archmere, Delaware Military Academy, Conrad Schools of Science and Newark Charter will remain in the DSC. For the first time, the league have enough teams to put together an official conference football schedule, with all but Newark Charter and MOT Charter competing on the gridiron.

“We have to send our bylaws and the schools that we are submitting down to DIAA for approval, but there shouldn’t be any reason for dispute because all of them are in good standing with DIAA,” Oswinkle said.
 
BigDEnd97 said:
That's interesting... Is 1st state military acad. the down state equivalent to DMA?
Click to expand...

Pretty much except that DMA is Navy and First State is Marines ( both ROTC) it was originally going to be an army school so Delaware could have its own Army Navy high school fb game
 
Annsmith80 said:
Pretty much except that DMA is Navy and First State is Marines ( both ROTC) it was originally going to be an army school so Delaware could have its own Army Navy high school fb game
Click to expand...

JRROTC.. Marine Corps doesn't have a ROTC program. They do have a Platoon Leaders Class for College students which is similar but not quite the same
 
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BigDEnd97 said:
Hey fellas,

This is my first new thread post on the site, so go easy on me lol

My son just got accepted into DMA and is interested in playing football while there. He has played for St Margaret CYO team for the past 3 years and has done fairly well. Would any of you be able to offer some insight to us regarding the DMA program? any Pro's and Con's are welcome. We just want to see what we can expect. I know its a smaller DII program that has seen some recent success.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
So basically this thread has provided you with the knowledge that your son will play for a good/bad coach who will/won't help him when it comes to college.
Best of luck!
 
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I've known the HC at DMA since 7th grade at St. John's and he is one of the most dedicated caring person I know. Do all coaches have favorites? Yes, the kids that show up on time to everything with a great attitude and give great effort. Those kids tend to be the coaches favorites. Also getting a football or any offer to play college athletics isn't easy - 2 FBS athletes signed out of DE in 2016. These coaches can sell a kid but if he's not the whole package and checks all the boxes that a college staff is looking for they move on to the next in a heartbeat. Plus, that coach has to put his name on that player to the college program and if there are any questions he will share them with a college coach. Parents need to be realistic about their son's level of play - I see a lot of kids miss opportunities looking for something that isn't going to happen.

Bottom line DMA has an outstanding HC and staff that works hard for their players. Your family with be happy being apart of the school and football program.
 
Thanks for all the insight, I expected to get a lot of plusses and minuses when I posted my initial question. He is really excited to go there as it was his first choice HS to go to. I know the likelihood of him getting a full D-1 ride is slim, but hey, he has a chance. I'm not so much worried about that, more worried about how the staff molds boys into men in these next 4 years. if he goes on to play football after HS...great, if he doesn't but comes out fully prepared to go to college or the service and has a good head on his shoulders, im good with that too. and If bringing up DMA football was 'beneath' some of you, well so be it, my kid is excited as hell about it and so am I!

thanks again fellas!
 
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As someone who served and spent 7 yrs total in the Middle East I commend you and your son, good luck and best wishes to both of you
 
BigDEnd97 said:
Thanks for all the insight, I expected to get a lot of plusses and minuses when I posted my initial question. He is really excited to go there as it was his first choice HS to go to. I know the likelihood of him getting a full D-1 ride is slim, but hey, he has a chance. I'm not so much worried about that, more worried about how the staff molds boys into men in these next 4 years. if he goes on to play football after HS...great, if he doesn't but comes out fully prepared to go to college or the service and has a good head on his shoulders, im good with that too. and If bringing up DMA football was 'beneath' some of you, well so be it, my kid is excited as hell about it and so am I!

thanks again fellas!
Click to expand...
With that staff, he'll come out an excellent member of society. Congratulations and good luck.
 
Great choice, stay motivated and most important....................have some aspect of fun.

What could possibly happen? Hopefully, this helps.................... Look how I turned out!

Regards,
Cavaliercharlie
USMC
1981-2009
 
The school is excellent. And with involved parents like yourself, all the tools are there for your son to succeed. Seahawk Nation!!!
 
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