After losing many of their key leaders to graduation, the Plant City Raiders’ new crop of seniors are about to fill big shoes. To help the boys become better leaders on and off the field, the Raiders called in the U.S. Marines.
Led by Capt. Kevin Lowe and Staff Sgt. Jose Moreno, a team of 14 Marines led the football team in a series of rigorous physical and mental workouts.
“It was amazing,” senior Dustyn Hart says. “I learned how to be a leader and to coach people up.”
The workshop itself is new to the Plant City area; the Raiders are the first team to integrate it into a practice. It’s safe to say, though, that it was unlike any practice these boys have ever experienced.
THE FIRST HALF
Lowe, executive officer at the Orlando recruiting station, is one of the people responsible for creating the workshop.
“It’s something we developed here, taking ideas from what people were doing across the country and applying it to football,” he says.
The first half of the workshop is fairly straight-forward: a series of workouts focused around one leadership principle and one leadership trait. The Marines abide by 11 principles and 14 traits in total.
“It’s taught at the beginning of boot camp and continues throughout your career,” Lowe says. “The traits are tailored to Marines, but they apply to any leadership position.”
The workouts, for example, go like this: At the core exercise station, a Marine will talk to the players about the principle, set the example, and the trait, “enthusiasm.” After the speech, everyone— including the Marine— will do the workout.
“We go through the workouts, too,” Moreno says. “We talk about setting the example, so we run and we move as they do.”
Depending on the weather conditions — namely, the heat and humidity — workouts last for four-and-one-half to six minutes.
Moreno, who works at the Plant City recruiting station, says the best thing about the workouts is seeing the players’ reactions when they push themselves harder than normal.
“One thing that I love is to see the sense of pride when they complete a workout,” Moreno says. “Once they start working out and they see themselves pushing past their physical and mental limitations, they see that they’re getting better.”
Once the players are finished with that workout circuit, it’s time for the final phase.
THE FIGHT AFTER THE FIGHT
That comes in the form of what Lowe calls a “tactical decision game”— a series of physical challenges that require critical thinking and, most importantly, teamwork.
“They’re worn out from their workouts; it’s hard to think,” Lowe says. “They’re tired, they’re hungry, they want something to drink. This is what it’s like in the fourth quarter. This is what they need to do to rise to the top.”
In this case, two teams of 35 Raiders had to make it from end zone to end zone while completing a series of drills. This included going prone and crawling from the end zone to the 50-yard line, then doing 100 pull-ups on a bar that they assembled themselves. Players that were penalized at any point for taking shortcuts would have to be physically carried across the field at one point.
Making things more challenging for the players was the fact that the Marines’ instructions for each drill were purposely vague. They would have to use teamwork to figure out exactly how to complete each exercise. Nothing else would suffice.
“We tell them that, if somebody doesn’t perform at 100%, there’s a consequence,” Moreno says. “If you don’t perform as a team, everybody’s going to have to pay the consequences. You’re only as strong as your weakest link.”
The way the players and coaching staff have gushed about the workshop indicate that it worked.
“Our coaches were able to learn, as well,” assistant head coach Greg Meyer says. “It was a great experience for the staff and the kids.”
THE RESULTS
According to Meyer, it worked almost immediately.
“The thing that stood out most to us, at our first practice, was how much control our seniors took,” Meyer says.
Having lost many team leaders to graduation, the incoming seniors’ willingness to step up will be crucial to this year’s chance of success. And, they know that very well now.
“It’s going to work out great,” Hart says. “The seniors we have now, most of us started last year. We’re just kind of filling last year’s seniors’ shoes, taking their spots, and it’ll all be all right.”
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES AND TRAITS
The Marine Corps abide by 11 leadership principles and 14 leadership traits, all of which are communicated to football players in their workshops.
PRINCIPLES
• Be technically and tactically proficient
• Know yourself and seek self-improvement
• Know your Marines and look out for their welfare
• Keep your Marines informed
• Set the example
• Ensure the task is understood, supervised and accomplished
• Train your Marines as a team
• Make sound and timely decisions
• Develop a sense of responsibility in your subordinates
• Employ your unit in accordance with its capabilities
• Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions
TRAITS
Justice
Judgment
Dependability
Integrity
Decisiveness
Tact
Initiative
Endurance
Bearing
Unselfishness
Courage
Knowledge
Loyalty
Enthusiasm