You could describe Todd Lewis as a young farmer who planted his crop last year and is looking for a return at some point.
The second year head coach of the Ponoka Broncs bantam football team established some routine and proper habits for his young players, basically teaching his core group how to be football players.
“At the end of the season I really saw them carrying themselves as football players and a lot of those kids are returning this year and they still have where they left off last year so there’s a lot less foundation building,” he said.
Lewis says the returnees are setting just the right example he wants the newcomers to the team to mirror in order for him to build the program into something the players can be proud of.
“We have a culture of setting yourself up for success and our definition of success isn’t putting points up on the scoreboard,” he said. “ Our definition of success is lifting up your brother, being a proper team-mate, challenging yourself and growing, building character and improving yourself as a person not only as an athlete.”
He says his players are on board with the message and the process of growing as an individual through football which makes the coach proud.
It’s all great stuff when it comes to those building blocks but one has to think at some point putting a “W” in the win column would be a good thing as well. The Broncs did go 0-6 last year which is a big hurdle to clear for a young squad. He has his work cut out for him as the Broncs have to take the field against very established programs in Red Deer, Lacombe, Sylvan Lake and Stettler.
“ I’m trying to get as many kids as I can in grade seven to come and play so when I get them in grade nine they have at least a couple of years under their belts.”
He’d love to see a peewee program get going in Ponoka so the kids can get even more experience in the game but a lack of coaches available has put a damper on that plan for the moment.
“It’s just going to take awhile for football to take hold in Ponoka, just like it has in those other communities.”
Lewis says they are going out to compete every game with a win as the end goal but he refers back to the real focus he wants to instill in his players about being a good person first and foremost.
“If you lift your brother, if you put the work in, if you grow as a person and as an athlete, growing in character the wins will follow.”
It’s a process where you have to be patient and there are signs things are taking a step in the right direction.
This past spring he had 60 kids turn up for tryouts and he actually had to whittle it down to 35 players heading into the season. He says he has the numbers but is lacking in the size category but he likes the fact he’s got a group of dedicated kids who want to play football.
“A win would be huge for our program and for recruiting and just to prove to our guys that we can win,” he said.
Until then the coach will keep sowing seeds and wait to see if they bear fruit.
