2007 LMS Colts Season Comments
6-1 Colts Football, 2nd HPEA
by Garrett Panzer
November 02, 2007
The 2007 Lakin Middle School Colts football team went 6-1 on the year and finished 2nd in the HPEA. The new look for the Colts team proved to help get the program back on the winning track. We jokingly said at the beginning of the season that if we weren't going to play very good, by golly we'd at least look good. The new uniforms for the Colts this year looked really sharp. I'd venture a guess, too, that the parents liked them better because of the darker colored pants. Sorry parents, there's nothing we can do about the white jerseys. It's a state rule that when teams play away from home, their jerseys must be white.
This year's motto was F.A.C.E. (Focus Accountability Commitment Excellence). Throughout the year the team talked about our efforts both on and off the field. The coaching staff would remind them to stay "focused" in doing the things they need to do, because they would be held "accountable" for their actions in the "commitment" they've made to the team that's striving for "excellence." That sounds like a lot to remember, but they all really go hand in hand.
This team really didn't need the "fire and brimstone" speeches to get ready for a game. For the most part they showed up and played hard each game the entire season. We ran into a much more physical team in Holcomb and that was our only loss of the year, but the team really stuck together and played hard the entire game.
I really don't know where to start to in saying how proud of the team I really am. They all displayed a great amount of character at different points during the season. I'm sure there were some things that didn't go their way and they wished things were handled differently, but for the most part the players accepted their role and played through it. One of the most recent moments I was very pleased with them was after the Elkhart game when the team went to Pizza Hut to eat. When we were finished eating and leaving the establishment, several players thanked the Pizza Hut staff. That really meant a lot to them. Plus, I visited with a couple leaving the same time I was and thanked them for "putting up" with us in the restaurant. They told me that they were "very impressed with the way the kids acted." These kinds of comments/compliments mean more to me than wins/losses.
My assistant coaches (Coach Grilliot and Coach Shultz) need to be commended for their efforts this year too. They do a super job with their particular disciplines. It helps that we all have a common goal in developing more than just athletes. We expect the team to be good citizens too. I know it may get old for the team to hear us harp on them day after day about things, but I think Lou Holtz says it best. I heard him say, "Discipline is not what a coach does TO you; it's what they do FOR you." This may be a hard concept for young men to comprehend, but I know in my heart that we try to do the right things for the different situations that come up.
The coaching staff would like to thank all the parents and the community for their support this year. We enjoyed spending time with the student/athletes and hope they enjoyed the year as well. The team really proved themselves this year. We have a lot of very fine young men to be proud of. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to coach these student/athletes.
