He’s on the Ball – Meet Coach Hampton Clarkson

By Kim Dunbar

Hampton Clarkson knows never to give up.  As a running back for Worcester State College, he helped his team come back from 19 points down to win the 2001 ECAC Championship. With five minutes left in the game, Clarkson rushed for two touchdowns, the second with only one shoe on.

“Everyone thought we lost that game,” he said.  “You can’t quit.  That’s why I believe so strongly in preparation and hard work.”

This remains one of Clarkson’s greatest football memories and he’s passing along the lesson.  The 29-year-old is entering his second season as South High’s head football coach, and after a 0-11 season, Clarkson is looking to build a football culture and a winning team. It’s a good thing the coach ~ who describes himself as a dreamer, motivator and sometimes a little crazy ~ is up for the challenge.

“I’ve always wanted to be a football coach,” he said. “I’m here because I believe I can turn this around.”

Clarkson has always been determined.  As a seventh grader, he was the varsity team’s waterboy so he could be close enough to the coach to make a good impression.

“I learned a lot about football doing that,” he said.

After graduating from Worcester State in 2005, Clarkson taught at University Park and South before landing his current position at Worcester East Middle.  In 2009, he was named head coach of South’s football team after putting in time as an assistant and lending his coaching expertise to the New England Surge.
Clarkson dedicates nearly four hours a day to the team, focusing not only on getting players more football-minded and into offseason workouts, but also excited about buying into the ideas of team and education.

“No one ever talked to them about college,” said Clarkson, who turned to a former coach, now at Harvard, for help in convincing the players that college and football was indeed an option for their future. “He spoke to the students about college, academic requirements, everything. It broke the barrier and got them past that ‘unreachable’ mindset.”

Clarkson has already seen a difference: former student Steven Johnson now plays for Worcester State and others attend UMass Dartmouth and Quinsigamond.  The coach expects more of this year’s team to move on, including ESPN top prospect Joe Brigham.

“My biggest accomplishment is getting kids to believe in the concept of a team and knowing they don’t have to do it all by themselves,” Clarkson said.  “They’ve developed more discipline knowing that they win together, lose together, and work hard together.”

Although Clarkson is a teacher and coach, he’s forever a student; he continues to learn from both fellow coaches and his players.

“They remind me to keep it simple,” he said.  “All that matters is that you give it your best and keep making improvements.”

While he realizes it’s not always easy, Clarkson also knows not to give up. That’s why he’s jumping in with both feet.  Except this time, he has both shoes.