LUTZ, Fla. — The Steinbrenner High School football team knows what it takes to win.
“I think we do a good job of staying disciplined and being a smart team,” Steinbrenner defensive back Eddie Davis said. “We lack in some places in athleticism, but we make up for it with our smarts.”
Finding ways to victory starts with these big guys doing the little things.
“We call it 'RYC' around here, Return Your Cart,” Steinbrenner Head Coach Andres Perez-Reinaldo said.
“You don’t want to leave it in someone’s spot where it could possibly get hit,” Davis added. “Integrity with everything you do.”
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Warriors coaching staff felt like the team had lost focus. They had to do something as a team to build character and integrity — a little thing, like coaching shopping cart returns in addition to punt returns.
“It’s the little things,” Steinbrenner linebacker Christian Gerhardt said. “When you go and return your cart, you have the choice to pop it on the curb or take it back, take a few extra steps to make sure it goes to where it belongs. It ties in with what we do every day in practice, paying attention to the little details and making sure everything is perfect.”
“For example, if we don’t get any penalties in a football game, we’ll save a bunch of yards, and we won’t have to deal with any mistakes or little details that will mess us up in the long run,” Steinbrenner offensive lineman Nathan Skaggs added.
The student-athletes have fully bought in, sharing videos on social media of returning their cart.
“When I see a cart just sitting there, I do think that person didn’t do the right thing when no one’s looking,” linebacker Will Miller said.
“I found myself the other day in an absolute conundrum,” Perez-Reinaldo said. “I was in the middle of a severe thunderstorm, and here I am with my shopping cart. I’m dying to just leave it here, but I can’t. That’s not the right thing to do.”
Doing the right thing when no one is watching, it’s a win in the parking lot that leads to even bigger wins.
“Really, just take care of your business," Perez-Reinaldo said. "If you take care of yours, the next guy is going to take care of his. Hopefully, we have a better place to live, and hopefully, we have some wins on the field."
The Warriors have won three straight district championships. The goal this season is to claim a regional title, if not more.
