THREE BLOOMINGDALE LACROSSE CAPTAINS CELEBRATE ADMITTANCE TO MILITARY SERVICE ACADEMIES

By Jane Owen

A jack of many trades, coach Scott Palmer has many responsibilities at Newsome High School. The current girls’ varsity basketball coach, Palmer is also on staf for football and flag football.

Despite having a lot of balls in the air for the entire school year and beyond, Palmer still manages to be an efective mentor and coach to the players in his program.

Many years of experience coaching a myriad of sports across Hillsborough County has helped mold Palmer into the coach he is now. Over the 27 years of his career, he has made pit stops all over Hillsborough County before arriving at Newsome 10 years ago. His coaching history includes head football coach stints at Leto and Spoto high schools, with assistant coach roles at East Bay High School and, of course, Newsome as well. Additional positions held by Palmer include assistant coaching jobs in track at Leto, Riverview and Spoto and in flag football at East Bay and Newsome.

A self-described student of the game, it makes sense that Palmer would find his way into coaching, as his father and grandfather both coached. Wasting little time, Palmer was already helping out at his old high school and engaging in volunteer opportunities in his community before he had even graduated from college.

“I guess it’s in my blood. I have always enjoyed working with young people, watching them succeed and grow as players, teammates and people,” Palmer said.

A key element of what has allowed Palmer to find success in so many diferent environments is the way he is able to build relationships with his players, and his genuine interest in their successes, on and of the field. The connections that he fosters with his players are truly pivotal and are one of the aspects of coaching he enjoys the most.

While Palmer has been able to achieve a lot in the realm of coaching, it has not come at the expense of success, as many of the teams he has been involved with coaching have won multiple district championships. He was an assistant coach the year the Newsome girls’ flag football team won a state title.

“Winning is great and we have been successful at Newsome, but athletics isn’t forever. … I hope my former players know that I am in their corner cheering for them. I want them to flourish in every aspect of life,” explained Palmer.

With each year presenting a new challenge, Palmer aims to help his players maximize their potential while reaching their team goals. With the plan of coaching as long as physically able, Palmer will continue to be a staple of Newsome athletics well into the future.

“If everyone is thinking alike, then someone isn’t thinking,” said George S. Patton, one of the best-known American generals in World War II. His words mean that if every person is thinking the same, then every person is just a follower.

Ryan Mothershed Cases, Lelyn Kirby and Simeon Rate are leaders. They are all captains on the Bloomingdale High School lacrosse team. They also have all accepted prestigious appointments to U.S. service academies. Cases and Kirby will attend the United States Naval Academy. Rate will attend the United States Air Force Academy.

Bloomingdale’s lacrosse coach, Cody Gray, said it is very rare to find the leadership qualities they possess as high school athletes. They lead by example and exude accountability.

“They’ve demonstrated immense accountability in both holding themselves accountable, but even more importantly their teammates. This can bring a lot of confrontation to the table if done incorrectly. However, I trusted them both seasons as their coach to do so in a radically candid manner. They cared personally, but also challenged their teammates directly.

Memory

“Living

This balance is extremely hard to accomplish even for some of the best leaders in the world,” Gray said.

All three students had different reasons for applying to the academies. Cases will be fourth-generation military, Rate’s dad and brother attended the Air Force Academy and Kirby felt the Naval Academy would give him tools for success to help others.

The desire to serve is what will continue to make them good leaders.

“Growing up, I knew that no matter what I did after high school, I wanted to serve others,” said Rate.

“What inspired me to apply to the academy is my desire to do good and give back to my country,” said Kirby.

“Having received the appointment, I know that I’m no longer doing things for me but for those around me because everything is not about me at this point, it’s about us,” said Cases.

According to Gray, their combination of leading by example with efective communication led players to follow. Simply put, he said, they are an inspiration for others and will have a huge impact on our county for years to come.