Antoine honored for work with team, community

Published 6:15 am Sunday, July 21, 2019

Westgate High School head football coach Ryan Antoine was recently named the inaugural EPIC Education and Counseling Coach of the Year for his all-around efforts at the school.

Founded in 2018 by New Iberia native J.D. Boudreaux, a local physical therapist and athletic trainer, the EPIC organization aims to promote safe athletic participation among youth in south Louisiana.

“This is our first Coach of the Year award,” Boudreaux said. “We decided to open it up for nominations in April. We ended up with five finalists from an area encompassing several parishes from St. Martin to Calcasieu Parish.”

The committee considered five factors.

“First, we wanted the coach to be able to promote the safety of the athlete,” Boudreaux said. “Secondly, we want the coach to demonstrate sportsmanship as a positive role model.

“The third category was fostering positive values and ethics to make sure we’re grooming these young men and women into proper citizens.”

The committee also evaluated success on the field, as well as community service.

“Coach Antoine was the only one who got nominated twice,” Boudreaux said. “I think that was very impressive. The nominations could come from any community member, so we reached out to school principals, athletic directors and social media.

“The person making the nomination had to answer questions for the categories and give us examples of how that coach demonstrated these specific characteristics.”

According to Boudreaux, the WHS head coach has gone above and beyond the call of duty.

“What stood out about Ryan were the details,” Boudreaux said. “He really checked all the boxes we were looking for in a coach.

“He and his entire staff have really invested in their program, whether it’s the lock-in retreat they have before school starts; demonstrating sportsmanship and making sure his team lives the team creed that he has created; and volunteering in the community with the Chamber of Commerce.”

Antoine said it’s all about making a positive difference in the lives of his student-athletes.

“It’s bigger than football,” he said. “We try to teach our kids to be good men, how to play for each other, and how to take care of each other. We want them to leave a legacy.

“Our motto is basically, ‘Leave everything better than we found it.’ Most of our coaches played ball at the college level and were decent players, and we want our kids to be better than what we were — better versions of men and athletes.”

It’s a coordinated effort, according to Antoine.

“I can’t accept that award by myself,” he said. “It’s more of a tribute to God, my family, and also my staff that does a great job of taking care of the day-to-day tasks to keep everything afloat.”

One of Antoine’s greatest joys is when his former players return to the campus to share their success stories.

“We love watching kids come back and tell us thank you for what we instilled in them,” he said. “We take pride when they come back and say, ‘Westgate football meant something to me.’”