Building Champions While Pursuing Championships

by Head Football Coach Jim Shapiro

Coaching football at King’s has given me the platform to help boys grow into men. Over my 23 years of coaching, I have had the opportunity to interact with hundreds of young men. These guys are from all walks of life but find a way to come together every fall to try and achieve something they couldn’t achieve on their own. They pursue success and victory on their way to experiencing personal building blocks that help them grow from boys into men.

The phrase that best describes the primary aim of our program is “building champions while pursuing championships.” It’s an exciting mission that follows a road that is full of ups and downs, but worth every minute invested in practicing and playing the game.

Early in my coaching career I was taught that the goal of the football season is not the end destination but rather the journey itself. When you can learn how to enjoy the process of practicing and preparing, then winning tends to happen more often than not.

Simply put, the goal is not the end of the road, the goal is the road.

Along this road I have had the opportunity to coach some amazing young men. I now have past players that are in the early 30’s. Many of them are married with kids. Just this past weekend I attended the wedding of a past player. There he stood all grown up waiting for his bride to meet him at the alter. Witnessing this great event was a room full of past coaches and players. It was a powerful site to see and a great reminder as to why I coach football at King’s.

I wish I had the time to share with you all the amazing memories I have from my two-decades of coaching, but there isn’t enough room on this page to do my experiences justice. What I can tell you is that the memories are many, most full of laughter and fun with a few tears and tragedies along the way. I guess what I’m saying is that the memories the King’s Football experience provides are memories of life lived together, in community, under the banner of Christ, with teammates that care for one another and coaches that truly believe in building champions while pursuing championships.

We are just weeks away from starting another season. This season promises to be full of great memories and success on the scoreboard. It also promises to be another opportunity for building champions while pursuing championships.

I hope that you can make it out to Woolsey Stadium one of these Friday nights to see my boys in action. They are fun to watch, compete with an eager mindset and you will have a chance to see first hand what King’s Football is all about.

I will see you on the gridiron!

Coach Shap

For more about King’s Schools athletics, please visit khsathletics.com.