"I really think that the biggest highlight for me each year is when we practice on Thanksgiving," he said. "If we're fortunate enough to do well on the field, we're able to practice for the playoffs over Thanksgiving weekend. And we'll have 500 or 600 people out at practice on Thanksgiving morning.
"Guys in college, guys playing college football, this is where they want to come back to. They want to come back and see the guys, and they want to have a relationship. Our guys can now reach out and text 25 or 30 guys playing college football, and they'll get right back to them immediately. That sense of community and that sense of pride in what we're doing means a lot."
He has also proven why he's been named as the Philadelphia Eagles High School Coach of the Week
"I think it's a huge accomplishment for everybody who makes up this program," Blum said. "From our coaches, to our players, the alumni, to all the support staff, our athletic training staff, our administration, everybody's so supportive. So for me, I think it's great recognition for all the people and the sacrifices they've made to make this program so special."
"Coach Blum deserves this recognition for so many reasons," Middletown Athletic Director Colleen Kelley said. "Most importantly, his goal is to mentor these young men into better humans and better citizens after leaving our football program. He works year-round at making sure his student-athletes are working hard in the classroom, modeling good behaviors within the school and community, and becoming better! His work goes way beyond the football field.
"He leads by example, living a lifestyle that reflects the values he teaches. He has created a family atmosphere where they can all be themselves."
That family atmosphere he's created reaches beyond the players and literally hits home. A captain as a player, Blum ended up marrying the cheerleading captain, Casey, and they have two daughters who are following in their mom's footsteps. Sophie is a varsity cheerleader at the high school as a freshman, and Sailor is in the second grade and cheers for the town's youth football team.
Blum values the relationships he's formed with the players and feels that has contributed to the team's success. But more than the victories they're achieving today, his hope is for them to continue aiming for success after they graduate from Middletown.
"Our main goal is to get them further down whatever path they want to pursue, help them to figure out what it is they're passionate about, and help them to get closer to that goal and understand what it's going to take to accomplish that," Blum said.
"And one of the biggest things, I felt like as a program, we hadn't done enough to get guys recruited. So that's become a huge priority. And the mechanics of that look like, if you're able to do that, then all the other pieces have to be in place. The stress of how to do the details, do well academically, do well from an attendance standpoint, to make sure your behavior in the hallway is right.
"There's going to be a lot of guys who do want to pursue college football, and that's great. They'll be well-positioned to do that. But there's also guys who want to be auto mechanics or HVAC guys, or they want to go pursue the military. And the same lessons will open doors for them in those careers, as well.