Coaching to a Community: Head football coach Mark Simoneau received the Coach of the Week award from the Chiefs

Strength, hustle, attitude, respect and perseverance.

These are the five core values the football program has instilled for its players and staff. Every program member wears a grey wristband with the acronym S.H.A.R.P. written in blue. This is the acronym that the players and staff try to live by every single day.

Each practice and conditioning session, the varsity football team will take a knee and listen to a speech from the coaches that aligns with one of their core values. This starts their practice off on a positive note and gets them excited to improve.

These core values are one of the many reasons Head Football Coach Mark Simoneau received the Coach of the Week award from the Chiefs.

“This weekly honor aims to recognize Kansas City-area head coaches for their success on the field and leadership off the field,” according to the Chiefs website.

Each week during the fall football season, the Chiefs select one coach from the Missouri side and one coach from the Kansas side. The coaches chosen receive a $500 grant from the Hunt Family Foundation, a certificate of recognition and a custom game football.

“[Simoneau] wants them to both be successful and enjoy the experience, but then because of playing under his core values and our core values, they're going to be able to take that into the next phase of their life,” Varsity Assistant Coach James Fournier said.

He officially received the Coach of the Week award on Sept. 17, and shortly after, a previous Chiefs linebacker, Gary Spani, came out to a practice to recognize the program and Simoneau for their success so far this season with a speech.

Simoneau has been aware of this award through hearing about it from certain coaches who have received it in the past. The award is a considerate thing that the Chiefs do to recognize high school football coaches, according to Simoneau.

“It's just nice for our program to be recognized,” Simoneau said. “So many things that go on behind the scenes, and then how hard our coaching staff works to help prepare our kids for Friday nights throughout the year. It's nice to have that recognition as far as the direction we're trying to take our program.”

According to the coaches on the football staff, the award is really a testament to how hard the players are working to improve. For the team that’s on the field playing, in the weight room training or just being a leader and example in the hallways at school.

“He cares about everything, not just football,” varsity football player and senior Michael English said. “He cares about us developing as young men, too. What I think really sets him apart from other coaches I've had in the past, or just in general, is that he kind of does it all.”

Among the athletes and coaches, Simoneau is known for being very intense and paying incredibly close attention to the game, according to Fournier, but he also takes the time to build connections with his athletes.

Fournier also thinks it’s hard for a sports team or program to succeed without a deeper relationship between the athletes and coaches. Trust and respect within a team are established when coaches genuinely care about their players, which is precisely what Simoneau aims to do.

“He's really building a program where it's not just one year or one class,” English said. “He's building a future for the team as well. He also played for the Chiefs and he was a former NFL player. So he's using the experience he has to leave a lasting legacy.”