ORONO, Maine — Playing football at the University of Maine has been an important educational experience for Jeff Ondish.
The senior from Elkton, Maryland, has learned numerous lessons on the field in addition to time spent in the classroom. Among them, Ondish realizes that one must be open to the process, resilient in dealing with failure and unrelenting in working toward success.
UMaine’s punter will demonstrate his skills on Saturday afternoon when the Black Bears visit Colonial Athletic Association rival Rhode Island.
There were high expectations in 2014 for Ondish, who is a three-year starter. It didn’t start out well.
“He would be the first to admit it,” said UMaine head coach Jack Cosgrove. “He was inconsistent early in the year, did not punt well out of the gate.”
Ondish boomed some punts but shanked others. With the Black Bears’ inexperienced offense struggling, the poor kicks are magnified.
“Even as a fifth-year guy, this game doesn’t stop teaching you things,” Ondish said.
“You have to be consistent in every phase of your life for everything to work out and for you to perform the way you want,” he added.
Ondish, who has been outstanding of late, is averaging 39.0 yards per punt. That includes 11 that were downed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line and 16 that have resulted in a “fair catch.”
“The last two weeks he has been much improved in terms of consistency,” Cosgrove said.
UMaine ranks fifth in CAA net punting at 35.5 (punt distance minus return yards), having punted the ball 55 times in seven games (7.9 per game), the most in the league.
“When you’re taking as many reps as I am, the overall outlook isn’t going to be great,” Ondish admitted.
“I only have four games left, and then I’m hanging them up. I want to do my part, continue to lead this team and just finish out strong.”
Ondish learned some hard lessons early in his career, when he was not receptive to coaching from Cosgrove, who directs the kickers and punters.
He came to appreciate his coach’s ability to teach, motivate and counsel — once he decided to listen.
“I look up to him as a role model,” Ondish said. “I find myself constantly observing him and seeing how he handles certain situations.”
Ondish also has learned to rein in his emotions during games. He focuses on maintaining an even keel.
“Probably the biggest thing he taught me was the progression he made between making good kicks and bad kicks,” said junior place-kicker Sean Decloux. “You can’t get too high on your good kicks or too low on your bad kicks.”
Ondish, an elementary education major, does not hold back his enthusiasm in his passion for teaching.
His first inspiration was Tracy Webb, his senior English teacher at Elkton High School.
“It was so clear to me after having her class that this is my calling,” Ondish said. “She had a way of handling certain students that other teachers couldn’t find a way … to connect with them.”
This semester, he is working with fourth graders in Sara Kreutz’s class at the Asa Adams Elementary School in Orono. On Thursday, he taught a math lesson in mean, median, mode and range for which the data set was his 10 punts in the Stony Brook game.
“It’s more about creating those teacher-student relationships so that they can work in a positive, welcoming environment and they can feel comfortable,” Ondish said.
“I couldn’t see myself doing anything else with the rest of my life, to be honest. They’re making it a great experience for me,” he said of the school’s teachers and staff.
The elder statesmen of UMaine’s kickers also is eager to share his knowledge and experience with his teammates.
“He’s a really good mentor to our younger players, that’s the thing that he’s really noted for around here,” Cosgrove said of Ondish, who monitors team study halls. “It’s life skills, study skills that he works with our first-year players on.”
Sophomore punter Sam Lenson has been among the beneficiaries of Ondish’s guidance.
“He was just a great role model and helped me on and off the field,” Lenson said.
“I think everybody on the team looks up to him and respects him,” he added. “They know Jeff means business and knows he’s going to be there for them.”
Ondish will do his student teaching next semester. He is grateful for the lessons and experience he has gained at UMaine.
“Because of the hard work and dedication of the professors at the College of Education and the advisors and staff members, I will be more than prepared, with my eyes open, upon entering the teaching field.”