The joys of high school coaching: from seeing team members grow as people to earning a prized banana

Roncalli High School’s head cheerleading coach Jessica Engel talks with members of the Indianapolis school’s cheerleading squad for the Sept. 6 football game against Bishop Chatard High School in Indianapolis. (Submitted photo)

(Editor’s note: With the fall sports season in full swing for Catholic high schools across the archdiocese, The Criterion invited a coach from each school to share the best part of coaching for them—and the moments this season that have brought them joy. Here is the first part of a series. See part two)
 

By John Shaughnessy

As a high school coach, the focus is often on finding ways to help team members reach their potential. It’s even better when the student-athletes contribute their own ideas to make that happen.

Nick Klingler has enjoyed watching that extra ingredient unfold this year with the girls’ cross-country runners he coaches at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis.

“At our team camp over the summer, the girls came up with the idea of keeping a log of daily goals at each practice. Every day, prior to the beginning of practice, each runner writes down something they want to work on to get better that day,” Klingler says. “At the end of each practice, they circle back to their journal and reflect on whether or not they met their goal.

“Every day is an opportunity to grow and be better than the day before. It has had such a positive impact on how we approach practice this season.”

That approach mirrors what Klingler calls “easily the best part of coaching”—“watching and supporting each runner’s growth.”

“Every time we gather, whether at a team meeting, at practice or at a cross-country meet, there are opportunities for the girls to grow in many ways—beyond just their athletic ability,” he says. “To get to be a small part of that process is such a privilege. With almost 70 girls, we have a broad range of running abilities, but to see each of them putting effort into getting better each day is inspiring.”

‘I love seeing them enjoy what they’re doing’

While state championship trophies and medals are the usual rewards that teams seek, the cheerleading squad of Roncalli High School in Indianapolis had a different motivator when they participated in the three-day Universal Cheer Association (UCA) Camp at Purdue University in July: A banana.

Let their head coach Jessica Engel explain.

“The most coveted award at a UCA camp is the banana, which is the top spirit award. To a lay person, this award doesn’t look very glamorous, but to a cheerleader, it’s the GOAT [Greatest of All Time]!” Engel says.

“Led by our excellent seniors, they went into camp and gave it their all. From dressing up, to screaming as loud as they could, to dancing in front of the entire camp, to listening, and leading by example, they won the banana award the second day. It was such a huge accomplishment for our squads! We spent more time taking pictures with the banana then we did with any of the other awards we won at camp. It meant so much to them, and I was so proud.”

Seeing the team members work toward that combination of joy and accomplishment is the highlight of coaching for Engel.

“Whether it’s a skill, a routine, a dance or just a fun chant, the smiles on their faces and their enthusiasm to perform provide an overwhelming sense of accomplishment for them and myself,” she says. “They start to really encourage each other and build each other’s confidence.

“They want to do it over and over until they get it exactly right. And when they finally do, they want to perform it right then and there. I love seeing them enjoy what they’re doing.”

‘A remarkable thing to experience’

Two moments this season have added an extra touch of joy for Andrew Alig, the head coach of the girls’ soccer team of Oldenburg Academy of the Immaculate Conception in Oldenburg.

“We had a girl miss the first couple games of the season due to injury,” Alig recalls. “When she came back, she had an incredible debut week. The whole team was excited for her and rallied behind her for her comeback.

“A second moment is when we were playing against a highly ranked opponent. We came out with lots of energy. When we scored our first goal to take the lead, all the players ran together with emotion to celebrate together.”

Alig gets energized from “seeing the joy and emotion from athletes when they accomplish a personal goal or milestone.”

“To me, this is what coaching is about because it is the completion of all the hard work the athlete has put in throughout the season. Not just the personal emotion, but seeing the shared team emotion when one player achieves something is quite a remarkable thing to experience.” †