ROCHELLE — Kyle Kissack may be the new man in charge of the Rochelle Township High School varsity football program, but he’s keeping things traditional as the Hubs participate in minicamp this week to kick off the beginning of their summer offseason.

Minicamp began on Monday and proceeded through Tuesday and Thursday. Players will continue working out during the summer through Rochelle’s Hub Power weightlifting program, and players will also remain active in team activities three days a week as the summer progresses.

RTHS will host its annual padded summer camp from July 16-19 and July 23-26 before the Hubs begin official practices on Aug. 6. Rochelle’s first season under Kissack, who is replacing retired head coach and athletic director Kevin Crandall, begins on Aug. 25, when the Hubs face Marion on the road.

“It’s exciting to get going,” Kissack said. “Our kids are very familiar with the structure of our program, and although there’s a new guy out front, the foundation of our program is the same and our kids are very comfortable with how we structure our summer. We’ve been able to hit the ground running.”

The Hubs finished 8-4 in 2017 with playoff victories over Chicago (Agricultural Science) and top-seeded Johnsburg. Rochelle graduated eight starting players on both offense and defense this year, and with many roles to fill, Kissack said both up-and-comers from the sophomore level as well as role-playing juniors from 2017 have chances to make their mark on the program.

“We’ve allocated more time to teaching specific skills this week,” Kissack said. “We have kids who are transitioning to the varsity level so we’re utilizing this time to introduce them to some of those skills… There are plenty of opportunities for kids to fill in roles and the minicamp is a great opportunity to do that. It’s a way for kids to get out in front during the summer.”

Blocking techniques, vision and proper footwork are just some of the skills Kissack and his coaching staff are emphasizing during minicamp this week. Rochelle will enter the 2018 season seeking its third consecutive playoff appearance after qualifying for the postseason in both 2016 and 2017. But the Hubs won’t get there without a strong summer, and Kissack said the team’s minicamp is an integral catalyst for future success.

“It’s always important for everybody to be here and to communicate from the very beginning that we’re in this thing together,” Kissack said. “Getting off on the right foot was something we were focused on, and thus far our attendance has been great. The kids are locked in and we’re happy with where we’re at.”