Sept. 29, 2009

Central’s De Waard, Roslien on Mexico trip

PELLA—Central College co-defensive coordinator Don De Waard and athletic training education program director John Roslien will serve on the staff of the U.S. football team in the Tazon de Estrellas (Bowl of the Stars) Dec. 19 on the Tec Monterrey campus near Mexico City.

The game will feature  a team from Tec Monterrey against team Stars & Stripes, comprised of 50 NCAA Division III players.

De Waard will serve as defensive coordinator for head coach Bill Manlove, former coach at La Salle (Pa.), Delaware Valley (Pa.) and Widener (Pa.). while Roslien will be the player personnel director.

De Waard previously served as the U.S. team defensive coordinator at the Aztec Bowl from 2005-07. The Aztec Bowl, which also featured a Division III all-star game, was staged in Mexico for 12 years. Former Central head coach Ron Schipper was the U.S. team’s head coach from 1997-2005 and 11 Dutch players were selected to compete in the game. De Waard has also made several international trips with Central’s squad.

Now in his 26th year on the Central staff, De Waard was named the Division III assistant coach of the year by the American Football Coaches Association in 2000.

Roslien was head athletic trainer and director of football operations for the U.S. team in the Aztec Bowl for 12 seasons. He’s also served as a tour coordinator, traveling to Europe with several American teams and was athletic trainer for the Iowa High School Basketball Coaches Association’s Select team trip to Melbourne, Australia. He visited the Central Abroad study site in Carmarthen, Wales during a faculty sabbatical in 2006.

De Waard is the only collegiate assistant coach named to the eight-man U.S. coaching staff. Head coaches selected are Jim Lyall, Adrian (Mich.); Jim Barnes, Augustana (Ill.); Dean Paul, Ohio Northern; Brad Spencer, North Central (Ill.); Todd Glaser, Wis.-Eau Claire; and Regis Scafe, John Carroll (Ohio).

Tec Monterrey is the premier private university system in Mexico, with campuses in several locations around the country. Tec teams have won eight of the past 10 Liga Major national football titles.