Recently, the Gary Community School Corporation named West Side High School alumni Atty. Alger Boswell III, Esq. head football coach at West Side Leadership Academy (WSLA). "As soon as the word got out that I was vying for the position, my phone started to ring with well wishes," said Boswell. "Now that I have secured the role, our competition is sizing us up because they know we have a lot of young talent on the team."Boswell had been serving as an assistant coach on the team for the last three years and previously served as a volunteer. He also played football at West Side while a student from 1993 to 1997. GCSC has invested an immense amount of time and funding to elevate the athletics program at WSLA and across the district. The addition of Boswell to the coaching staff is another move designed to produce successful student athletes. "Coach Boswell is someone who knows and loves football and knows and loves Gary. That's a perfect combination," said Dr. Paige McNulty, Manager of the Gary Schools. Boswell continues to incorporate sportsmanship and character-building traits into his program. With academics coming first, the team has study tables before practices daily and regular mentoring sessions to emphasize the emotional and mental support that the coaching staff provides. Meanwhile, new turf is being installed on the football field at West Side to complement the new lights, jumbotron, track and press box. These improvements, among others, have resulted in an increased interest in the GCSC athletic program.
“My motto is 'stay in Gary, play in Gary,'” said Boswell. “No longer do students have to use the address of a relative in order to enroll in another school district. We have a quality program right here in Gary that is competitive and one to watch.”
The WSLA football program will transition into the Greater South Shore Athletic Conference in 2023 giving the cougars more opportunities to compete. As a board member of the Gary Steelers Football program, Boswell was excited to see that the feeder program has returned to Gary’s only public high school, West Side Leadership Academy. Boswell looks forward to building on his relationship with the Gary Steelers league and capitalizing on any feeder opportunities to expand the high school's football program.
“The kids need the opportunity to learn the sport before they get to high school and that’s what the community programs like the Gary Steelers and Calumet Region provide,” Boswell said. "I am honored to be in a position to have a positive impact on the lives of so many budding student athletes."
Families interested in enrolling their scholars can register for the 2022-2023 year at garyschools.org.