IMA SPORTS

For most of the teenagers on the Maumee football roster, their playing days will end when they graduate from high school. A few will move on to play college ball, but even their playing days will one day come to an end.

Panthers coach Evan Karchner has experienced that end to his playing days and knows the lessons players can learn will last them long after they hang up their helmets and shoulder pads.

“I just  think the bigger picture is we’re trying to build something that lasts beyond wins and losses,” Karchner said. “We want Maumee football to be something these kids look back on and say, ‘That helped shape who I am today,’ and leadership development is a huge part of that.”

Eleven juniors and seniors are part of a selected leadership group that meets periodically throughout the summer and into the season. Included in the group are returning starters Ben Kubicz, Will Kubicz, Ryan Patterson, Jackson Schneider, Brock Heard, Cohen Jones and Eli Dodson, along with Garrett Anderson, Abram Sutherland, Braidon Linn and Travis Garrett.

Karchner said leadership starts with being consistent and accountable to their teammates, and it adds in work ethic and a positive, team-first attitude.

According to Karchner, their main responsibility is “to lead by example in how they work, how they communicate, and how they bring teammates along with them.

“We expect them to hold themselves to a higher standard and to be the voice of our locker room,” he added. “They’re the bridge between our coaching staff and the team. Whether it’s helping to set the tone in workouts, solving small problems before they become big ones, or encouraging teammates when things get tough, their role is to help guide our program in the right direction.”

Karchner believes that leadership is something that’s developed, so he has packets that the leadership group completes individually. They’ll then use the answers in the packets to generate conversation and topics during meetings. Karchner also wants them to put the lessons they’ve learned “into action every day at practice and in life.”

“We can’t just tell kids to lead, we have to teach them what that means,” Karchner said.

Karchner put the material together that fits the values of the Panthers program from various leadership development programs. The group is focusing on three key areas — championship work ethic, consistency and attitude.

Exposing young men to leadership roles and concentrated effort to improve those skills is something Karchner knows the players will take with them throughout life.

“When you give young men real responsibility, they grow. They learn accountability. They learn that their actions impact the people around them. The lessons they’re learning are how to lead, how to handle adversity, how to influence others in a positive way, and those go far beyond football. Our hope is that they take what they’ve learned here and apply it in their families, their careers, and their communities down the road.”

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