IMA SPORTS

The nature of high school football puts a hard end to a player’s career; there are no redshirts or extra years of eligibility.

While Maumee coach Evan Karchner knows he had the players to compete this year, it doesn’t take away from the fact that there are some players who will be stepping into some big shoes this season.

The Panthers took some important steps to make sure those shoes are a good fit when they went to Trine University last week for their three-day acclimation camp. It was the second straight season they regrouped from their July 4th vacation week by traveling to the school more than an hour away in Angola, Indiana.

There were plenty of items on Karchner’s to-do list, but building confidence for the players stepping into new roles was towards the top.

“Having three uninterrupted days together at Trine was a game-changer for building confidence, especially for players stepping into new roles,” Karchner said. “Being around each other all day, whether it’s during walk-thrus, install meetings or just relaxing and playing pool in the dorms, allowed our guys to really connect.”

It also allowed the leaders of this year’s team to step into their roles.

“It gave the new leaders time to show who they are, earn trust and prove their commitment,” Karchner said. “For the rest of the team, it was an opportunity to rally around them and start building the kind of chemistry we need to succeed in the fall. You can’t fake trust. It has to be built, and this camp gave us the space to do that.”

Maumee arrived at Trine on Monday and immediately went to work, holding their first practice an hour after getting on campus. They held two practices on Monday and Wednesday, and one on Tuesday.

While practicing at Trine didn’t necessarily provide any advantages on the field or with special equipment, the team benefitted from being allowed to focus on football for three straight days.

“Getting the team off campus and into a college environment like Trine for three days is valuable on so many levels,” Karchner said. “First, it allows our players to fully dedicate themselves to football without the usual distractions of home or summer routines.

“But more importantly, it pushes them out of their comfort zones and into situations where they have to rely on and bond with one another. Sharing dorm rooms with teammates they may not know well encourages new friendships, deeper trust and stronger team unity. As football players, it sharpens their focus. As young men, it helps them grow socially, mentally and emotionally in a way that pays off on and off the field.”

Just like last year, the players were strategically matched up with roommates to put an emphasis on team bonding. With a year of experience at Trine under their belt, Karchner and the coaches put more of an emphasis on the purpose and flow of the schedule, taking what worked last year and making it “tighter, more intentional.”

The trip wasn’t all work and no play, though. The players were given time to relax in the dorm, which included a common area that had a ping-pong table and pool table. They also spent time eating together in the Trine dining hall.

Watching the players build stronger or new bonds with teammates during those moments was the highlight for Karchner.

“My favorite part was seeing the team just be together outside of practice. Whether it was watching them compete in a kickball game, laughing over ping pong in the dorms or grabbing lunch in the cafeteria with guys they don’t normally hang with, those moments really showed the growth of our brotherhood,” he said.

“It’s easy to focus on the Xs and Os, but these three days are about so much more than football. It’s about building a family and watching that take shape in real time was the best part of the entire trip.”

Photo courtesy of Pride of the Panthers
Reach IMA at insidemaumeeathletics@gmail.com