Football..Just one of the many blood veins that run within the body Shenandoah University. It gives SU life, spreads the Su culture, and develops more young and capable minds for the challenges of the future ahead. Coach Yoder, the protecter, caretaker, and controller of this individual “vein” is a very well-known and respected man. But despite what you may think, he’s more than just football!!
Football has definitely grown into a very diverse and infectious sport! “I didn’t play until high school, but it was always, when I was younger, apart my life and and my family’s life and, ever since high school, has been a huge part of every day,” says Coach Yoder. From recruiting players to keeping these athletes “in line”, as Head Coach, Coach Yoder does it all. He’s here to make sure each player every player is being properly developed on the field as well as in the classroom. In his 3 years being here, people admit to there being a increase in both areas. Yoder commented, “We’ve grown up a lot in 2 or 3 years. We’ve got a lot of guys playing of us now; it’s their 2nd of 3rd year playing! And they’ve done a good job and are juniors and seniors now. We are 4- 2, currently, with with 4 games left to play and a lot left to prove, but we’ve got huge opportunities coming up.” But there’s more than just pass plays and run plays on this Coach’s mind. “ Well, I think that anytime that you get involved in athletics, and this is not specific to football, but when you’re apart of a team, you learn a lot more than you even know you’re going to learn………Our guys are in a locker room, in our team, with people from all over the country, all different types of people. And that’s a good thing! Getting exposed to a lot….working together…putting aside differences. So, i think the value of athletics is ten-fold!” he says. But thats not just all of the benefits. He add on by saying, “I think that anyone who plays a college sport is going to see benefits, from mental toughness, to time management, to teamwork, to working together and you’re going to be more successful.” So, if you want to learn how to better manage your homework, learn to put aside some differences, or even start to become “hard-headed” for those future business deals, consider joining a sport. Having been Kutztown, PA and moving to SU from Geneva, NY as well as not graduating from SU but from Hobart College, Yoder can differently attest to the skills of communication, the experience of meeting new people, teamwork, and mental toughness being developed, even in himself, by football.
Football is definitely more than just 2 guys colliding. It’s more than protein milkshakes, lift weights to pop music, and the typical “dumb jock” we see on TV. Coaches, as well as players, strive to become better and grow, both physically and mentally. They also develop important skills that will move on with for the rest of their lives, despite whether or not they play football professionally. We now know that even though they’ve got massive muscles, they’ve got the brains to back them up.
The Wander World 