SWAMPSCOTT — The football season begins Aug. 18, and Swampscott has a new head coach at the helm this year in Peter Bush. Bush, who has been the defensive and special-teams coordinator at Swampscott, will now take over the duties of head coach.
“I worked with the defense and special teams, so I handled two of the three phases of the game. It’s now about getting up to speed on the offense,” Bush said. “I have great assistants who are helping me get up to speed with what I need to know about the offense. There are more head-coaching duties on my plate, and they have been great in taking on some more responsibility to make sure I have the time to take on the extra responsibility I have as a head coach.”
When asked how he is feeling about the upcoming season, Bush said he’s ready for practice to begin.
“I’m definitely excited. The work the guys have put in since December is encouraging,” Bush said. “They’re a tight-knit group and work extremely well together. The majority of the junior class has been playing together since youth football. It’s a good mix of kids. We’re looking forward to getting the season started.”
Despite not ending the 2022 season as planned, Bush is determined to turn the ship and get back to winning ways at Swampscott.
“We didn’t finish the way we wanted to in 2022,” Bush said. “Last year wasn’t good enough. That comes from a player’s standpoint and a coaching standpoint. We have to do more and can’t get complacent. We need to be eager to get better on a daily basis so by the time the season starts, we’ll be ready to roll.”
When asked if he wants to set a new culture at Swampscott, Bush said his priority is to get back to the culture that was set before he was even a player for the Big Blue.
“I think it’s the culture that was established before I was a player in the mid-90s. It’s a relentless attitude to compete and make sure the week of practice to prepare as much as possible. Ultimately, the more work you do during the course of the practice week and the harder and faster you practice, the Friday and Saturday games slow down a bit,” Bush said. “It has been done before I played here and when I played here. Ultimately you have a feeling of what the outcome of a game will be by the work you do in the practice week.”
Bush wants his team to play fast, physical, and disciplined.
“That’s been the trademark for Big Blue football for a long long time. You knew you were going to be in a battle for all four quarters and if it goes to overtime, the battle will continue,” Bush said. “We fell short in a lot of ways last year. The kids and coaches are all aware of it, now it’s just about paying more attention to detail and being more organized.”
Bush is looking for the team to improve in all three phases.
“I think it’s across the board,” Bush said. “It wasn’t one particular area that needed improving. There’s so much room for improvement. The kids and coaches have been great this offseason. Aug. 18 can’t come quickly enough. The date is getting close and there is a good buzz around here. We need to get back to playing Big Blue football.”
Bush pointed to his team’s competitive nature as a strength for this season.
“They’re multisport athletes. They’re involved in winter and spring sports. Anytime you watch our kids play, they compete,” Bush said. “Winning or losing, it’s the same attitude and competitive nature that they don’t want to lose. Football is the ultimate team sport and they know we need all 11 guys out there working together with the same mission in mind.”
Although Bush admitted he won’t know how he’ll feel when the first game comes, he has plenty of experience being on the sidelines coaching in big games.
“I’ve been pretty fortunate to have been coaching football since I graduated college in the early 2000s, so I’ve been in some championship games and been on the winning and losing sides,” Bush said. “I’m not sure what I’ll be feeling on the day, but I’m sure it’ll be a different feeling than being a coordinator.”
