FORMER WHEATON COLLEGE COACH … Retired Wheaton College football coach Mike Swider spoke at the September 15 Archbold Rotary meeting on the characteristics of leadership. His audience also included the captains of the Archbold High School fall sports. Pictured with Coach Swider (left) are some of the captains who attended: football captains Brady Bacik, Mason Siegel, Chase Miller and Cade Brenner; Rotarian Dan McQuade, who arranged the program; and girls’ golf captains Gabby Rodriquez and Aniyah Copeland.
During his 24 years as the head football coach at Wheaton College in Illinois, Mike Swider’s teams posted a 209-52 record, appeared in the Division III NCAA playoffs 10 times, and he coached 43 All-Americans.
When he retired after the 2019 season, Swider’s 80.1 winning percentage ranked in the top 8 of active Division III coaches and in the top 15 of all-time coaches with at least 10 years of head coaching experience.
Clearly, Coach Swider’s approach was responsible for the success of his teams at Wheaton College as well as the success of his players as athletes and as individuals.
He spent more than 45 minutes challenging Archbold Rotarians and the Archbold High School fall sports team captains to consider the importance of leaving a legacy instead of pursuing fame or money. And, to live as though today could be your last, so don’t waste the time that you have.
He said, the first step is to be someone “who wants to be motivated and challenged to be better.” He explained what he meant by recounting an interview where former Chicago Bears Coach Mike Ditka was asked during the team’s heyday why he was such a successful coach.
Ditka replied that he simply got rid of people who weren’t motivated and didn’t don’t want to get better. Once you surround yourself with motivated people who want to improve, he said, anyone can be a successful coach.
Coach Swider presented and explained seven characteristics of effective leaders: 1. Have integrity. Be truthful and faithful and live your life that way; 2. Be morally courageous. Be principled and don’t waiver — even when it isn’t easy; 3. Don’t forget who you are and what you represent. Your family name means something, and your actions don’t only represent who you are, but also the character of your team, your school, your community, or your company; 4. What is your focus? Know your responsibility and what you need to do to achieve it; 5. Commitment. Quitting is never a solution to anything. Do the work that is required; 6. Be selfless. Work together and support one another; 7. Remember: People have to matter. Form relationships with others, with teammates, with associates, with neighbors. People who know and understand one another work harder and better together in good times and in challenging times.