Coach Sherman Wins Coach of the Year Award

On November 22, Chip Sherman was named High School Coach of the Year by the Kansas City Chiefs for reviving the East football program. Sherman led the Lancers to a district championship with the team’s 8-1 season as well as a share of the Sunflower League title. The school will receive 1,000 dollars that will go towards the football program.
“Winning that award meant a lot because it is one of those things that is a real tribute to our other coaches and the kids on the team,” Sherman said. “They have done so good that people on the outside want to recognize our coaching staff and our team.”
Despite improving the team’s record to 8-1 from 4-6 a year ago, Sherman doesn’t believe that he particularly deserves this award.
“There are a lot of better coaches out there than me, I have just been blessed to be at the right place at the right time,” Sherman said. “I have been around good people and I have tried to surround myself with good coaches. They’re are the ones who do all of the hard work, I just stand around and do what needs to be done.”
Sherman was put into position to win this award by winning Coach of the Week on October 26th, for that award, Sherman won an additional 500 dollars for the team.
“I don’t ever set [winning awards] as a goal,” Sherman said. “It’s not all about winning, it’s not all about all of that other stuff. Some of the most rewarding years I have had have not been the most winning seasons.”
Sherman is certainly no stranger to this award, four times prior this year he has been recognized for the award. Although the award is a tribute to Sherman’s success coaching this team, he insists that the players won the award, not him and it has been this way since the first time he won it.
“This past season has been very successful,” Sherman said. “The success of a season isn’t over after the season. When those seniors graduate then you look back and say ‘alright how did they handle themselves,’ were they good kids, did they do the right thing, were they good in school, did they stay off the police blotters. That to me is more important.”

Photos by Lindsey Hartnett