LINN — Coach William “Sonny” Sonnemaker did not arrive at Linn expecting to build a football program by himself.

The first-year Wildcats head football coach had spent years considering what he would do when his opportunity came, but one conclusion had already become clear: a head coach cannot handle every detail alone.

“You’ve got to be able to get reliable staff around you,” Sonny said. “I knew that I was going to have to take a step back from X’s and O’s a little bit, find guys that can focus on the dynamics, the scheme, and my vision, and allow me to build this culture of encouragement.”

Although this is his first head-coaching position, Sonny does not view himself as unprepared. “A lot of people will say, ‘This is a first-time head coach — lack of experience,’ and things like that,” he said. “But I always give the analogy of the warrior in the garden. I spent 15 years sharpening my sword to get ready for this and making sure my tools were ready.”

Because much of the planning occurred before summer began, Sonny said the staff was able to accelerate the process of establishing expectations and developing the culture it wants throughout the program.

Assistant coach Sam Tramel, who teaches English at Linn and works with the Wildcats’ wide receivers, said Sonny’s vision was immediately apparent. “One of our first conversations was about my role as an assistant coach, and I told him that my job is to execute your vision,” Tramel said. “It’s going to be really easy because I believe in what’s going on here.”

That belief has carried into the summer as coaches and players report early each morning.

“It was really easy for me to show up at 5:45 — or both of us at 5 o’clock to get there early and get our initial work prepared — because I never had a question,” Tramel said. “I never had to think, ‘Is this the right thing to be doing?’”

He said that shared understanding has helped the coaching staff operate consistently. “When we look around at each other, we always know what decision to make because we all know what the end goal is,” Tramel said. “We all know what Coach Sonny’s vision is for this program, and when you do that, all those pieces fall in together and you get things that improve quickly.”

Although the Wildcats have not yet coached a game together, Tramel said he already feels more confident. “Even accounting for the normal bumps and bruises that any program has, we’re moving along really well,” he said.

BEYOND ONE SEASON

Sonny’s vision extends beyond wins, losses, and football strategy.

He wants the program to benefit Linn High School, its other athletic programs, and the community. “The goal is to elevate everybody, because that’s what football does,” Sonny said. “You’ve got a good football program at the beginning of the year; there’s good buzz. Kids want to come to school. Test scores go up naturally just because kids are excited to be at school. School is fun. There’s school spirit.”

A strong football program, he added, should contribute to success elsewhere rather than compete against other activities.

“If you have a great football program, that should trickle into the other sports,” Sonny said. “As a good football coach — and the coaches I’ve got around me — we believe in multi-sports. We want our kids to be able to play everything. We want them to elevate everything at Linn as much as possible.”

The staff’s message centers on four priorities: academics, behavior in school, nutrition, and the weight room.

“That’s it,” Sonny said. “Those are the four things we really talk about.”

The Wildcats also try to create an upbeat atmosphere.

“We try to keep it positive,” he said. “We try to keep the music positive. We try to keep ourselves positive.”

During workouts, Sonny frequently asks players, “What’s today?”

Their answer is, “The greatest day of our football career,” because, he said, they have been given another opportunity to participate.

“Your football life is only so long, and we want the kids to enjoy it,” Sonny said. “We want them to have fun.”

The coaches hope their influence lasts well beyond a player’s final game.

“At the end of the day, if we do our job correctly, we won’t be their last coaches,” Sonny said. “Hopefully, they’ll be able to go on and play at the next level or still come to us for guidance in life.”

He gave his assistants a simple way to measure whether they have built lasting relationships. “The standard I set for all the assistant coaches was, your job is to get your players to send you wedding invitations in the next couple years,” Sonny said. “That’s how you know you’ve done your job correctly.”

A SAFE PLACE TO FAIL

Building relationships does not mean avoiding difficult conversations.

“We don’t lie,” Sonny said. “We keep it real. We have tough conversations.”

He said coaches must be dependable male role models, particularly because some young people have experienced disappointment from adults they trusted. “We’ve got to be good men of character because a lot of kids in this world today have had a man in their life who has let them down,” Sonny said. “Our job is to be a good role model and to provide them a safe place.”

During a recent practice, the coaches told players that the football program may be the safest place for them to fail, learn, and try again.

“We can watch you, we can monitor you, and we can keep you safe,” Sonny said. “Once you get out in the outside world, you don’t have that shield anymore.”

He compared life’s difficulties to a ball that will continue bouncing back and striking a person whether he is prepared or not. A coach cannot prevent every impact, but he can provide some protection.

“Our job as a coach is to give you a cup,” Sonny said. “You’re still going to get hit. It still may hurt a little bit, but at least you have some protection. At least you’re kind of ready for it.”

Sonny believes the program’s encouraging approach has contributed to its strong summer participation.

The number of students involved has generally remained around 30, though attendance fluctuates because of work, transportation, family commitments, and other activities. “We just want kids to be there,” Sonny said. “We want the kids to be responsible. There are times when they can’t get there, and we do understand that.”

The staff also tries to eliminate barriers when possible.

“We understand kids struggle with rides,” Sonny said. “We’ve got coaches who will pick up players. Every morning, I stop and pick up a couple. We just do what we’ve got to do to help each other out because it takes a village.”

WEIGHT ROOM OPEN TO ALL

Football players begin their mornings at 5:45, but the school’s summer training opportunities are not limited to them.

After the football session, separate workouts are available to other athletes, including one designated for girls and another open session for boys participating in basketball or other sports.

Sonny credited Trent Byers with organizing the weight-room schedule.

The girls’ session allows participants to create an atmosphere that feels comfortable and belongs to them. “They can come in, focus, be by themselves, listen to the music they like, and make their own kind of vibe,” Sonny said.

He added that a successful weight room depends less on the equipment than the environment surrounding it. “Every weight room is the same,” Sonny said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re at a high-class, high-tech one or the gym in ‘Rocky.’ It’s about the environment.”

That environment is intended to welcome students from every program.

“Any sport — shoot, even community members,” Sonny said. “Kids at chess club want to go and get their body and mind right? Go for it. That’s what it’s for.”

John Mahoney, who has a background in strength and conditioning, has also joined the staff. Sonny said Mahoney previously operated a large training facility in Colorado, worked with more than 150 athletes, helped train championship teams, and spent time at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Sonny said Mahoney also wants the program to benefit the broader school population.

“Teachers, administration, any of our staff members who want to get fit and get healthy — that’s what we’re trying to do,” Sonny said. “We appreciate Superintendent Bob James for being very supportive, and the school board for hiring quality men to help coach this team.”

FUELING STUDENT-ATHLETES

The Linn Wildcat Football Boosters helped establish a nutrition station, or “fuel cart,” for students, with each athlete offered approximately 750 to 800 calories after a training session.

Each athlete is offered approximately 750 to 800 calories after a training session.

Available food includes tortillas, peanut butter, jelly, applesauce, granola, yogurt, milk, and protein shakes. “We try to tell them to eat it all, but it gets hard sometimes,” Sonny said.

Student assistants have become remarkably efficient at preparing the drinks. “They can make 35 protein shakes in under five minutes,” Sonny said. “It’s really cool how fast they can get going over there.”

The cart is located inside the weight room, where two refrigerators donated by Coca-Cola keep the food and drinks cold.

Sonny credited Tiffany Bish and the booster club for arranging the donation. He also thanked Kelley Crouse and Amanda James in the school cafeteria for connecting the program with the district’s food vendor, allowing supplies to be purchased in bulk at cost.

“That’s how we’re able to afford to do this,” Sonny said, adding that nutrition is also a safety issue.

Properly fueling students after workouts can help reduce soft-tissue injuries and support recovery, particularly because many athletes leave school and immediately move on to work, farm chores, or other activities.

“Our student-athletes do so much — not just athletics,” Sonny said. “They’re in the community. We’ve got kids who buck hay bales after practice. We’ve got kids who go to work.”

Providing food can also reduce the burden on families. “If we can provide them some sort of nutrition to take that burden off a family or whatever, that’s what we’ve got to do,” Sonny said.

HELPING AFTER THE STORM

The Wildcats’ emphasis on community responsibility was evident after the Fourth of July straight-line wind storm, when approximately 15 players helped clean up damage at Osage View, at a request from Golf Course Superintendent Joe Miloro, who also maintains Linn’s practice and game fields as part of his work connected to State Tech.

Sonny praised Miloro’s knowledge and the care he gives the facilities.

“The facility we have is so cool,” Sonny said. “Joe takes care of that grass.”

He recalled complimenting the field and comparing it to green carpet, only for Miloro to tell him that it did not yet look good by his standards.

“I was like, ‘What do you mean this looks bad? I literally have no idea what you’re talking about,’” Sonny said.

Miloro explained what needed to be done to improve the field, and Sonny offered his players’ help. “When he said, ‘Give me kids to help,’ it was, ‘All right, cool. Perfect,’” Sonny said.

The players later returned after the storm to pick up limbs and other debris.

“Anything for Joe,” Sonny said. “He does all this stuff. The least we can do is come help him out.”

The students even turned the work into an enjoyable activity.

“They were running around and made picking up sticks fun,” Sonny said.

A PLACE FOR EVERYONE

Sonny believes football can include students who never put on shoulder pads. “Football is for everybody, but playing football obviously is not,” he said. “Not everybody can do it, but everybody can be a part of it.”

The program advertised for student assistants and received applications from three girls.

Genna Haslag quickly demonstrated an aptitude for photography, graphics, video, and social media. Sonny compared the position to that of a college sports information director.

“She took that role and ran with it,” he said. “She makes great graphics, takes great pictures, and posts good videos.”

That work has also supported the recruitment of Linn athletes.

“We’ve been getting a lot of good traffic from college coaches because of it,” Sonny said. “It’s digital advertising for our program.”

Willow Reimund and Kirra Deatsch have also taken on significant responsibilities. “They’re pistols,” Sonny said. “They’re not afraid of anything.”

The students have learned defensive terminology, coverage concepts, practice organization, nutrition information, and the proper preparation of protein shakes.

“You never have to ask where they’re at,” Sonny said. “They really want to be a part of this and really want to learn.”

Their experience could eventually create scholarship opportunities in equipment management or other support roles at the college level.

“These girls now have a knowledge of football,” Sonny said. “It’s empowering them.”

They are also unafraid to become involved physically during practice drills.

“We’ve got videos of them hitting guys with bags,” Sonny said. “They’re not afraid to get in there.”

The assistants have brought personality to the program as well. Sonny recalled one of the girls interrupting a coaches’ meeting while carrying two kittens she had found beneath his vehicle.

“She comes busting into the weight room with two kittens and says, ‘Coach Sonny, can I keep these?’” he said.

His response was immediate.

“I am not your parent,” Sonny told her.

The kittens ultimately went home with the student.

STAFF OF “MISFITS”

Sonny has assembled a coaching staff with varied backgrounds and experiences.

In addition to Tramel, Byers, and Mahoney, the staff includes Timothy Duarte, Cuba’s former head coach; Kobe Kaminsky, who coached at Battle High School; and Joey Avitia.

Avitia and Byers previously played for Sonny at Central Methodist University. Avitia earned a psychology degree from the University of Missouri and has an interest in working with young people in a role similar to sports psychology.

“It’s good to have that gentle touch for them,” Sonny said.

Several members of the staff also share difficult personal experiences.

Sonny said he, Duarte, Kaminsky, and Mahoney have each dealt with cancer affecting their fathers. Kaminsky’s father previously defeated cancer but is again facing health concerns.

“That’s kind of what unified us,” Sonny said. “We’ve all been through some stuff in our backgrounds.”

Those experiences allow coaches to teach resilience from a personal perspective. “It’s really neat to teach these kids what you can accomplish even though you’ve been knocked down a few times,” Sonny said.

The coaches jokingly refer to themselves as “the misfits.”

Tramel offered another phrase that has become part of the staff’s outlook.

“You’ve got to be odd to be No. 1,” Sonny said, quoting him.

FUNDAMENTALS AND IDENTITY

The Wildcats have been holding camp Monday through Friday.

Players begin at 5:45 a.m. with position meetings and installation work before moving to the field. They finish with weight training under Byers and Mahoney and generally wrap up around 9 a.m.

After the players leave, the coaches meet to evaluate practice and prepare for the following day.

The staff considered combined practices with other schools but decided to remain focused on its own development.

“We’re really focusing on fundamentals and ourselves right now,” Sonny said. “We’re focusing on teaching the kids how to play football properly.”

The Wildcats are also establishing the identity they want to carry into the season. “We’re going to be real nasty on defense,” Sonny said.

Practices are heavily focused on defense and special teams.

“That’s going to be our identity — our defense and how we play on special teams,” Sonny said. “Special teams has to be special, and on defense, you’ve got to do your job.”

The defensive motto is “9-5-90.”

That means the Wildcats want nine defenders within five yards of the football 90% of the time.

“We’re always screaming and rallying to the football,” Sonny said. “That’s something you’ll hopefully see differently Friday nights — a defense with a relentless attitude and an ability to get its nose to the football and fly to the football.”

He wants the Wildcats to play confidently and physically while remaining within the rules.

“This is a violent sport,” Sonny said. “We teach kids how to play violently, and we teach kids how to tackle violently.”

That aggression must be properly controlled. “We will reward you for violence on the field if done properly — legally and within the rules,” he said. “We want to be a tough football team.”

SUPPORTING OTHER SPORTS

Although football has become a year-round activity in many places, Sonny does not want it to prevent students from competing elsewhere.

The Wildcats try to schedule most football work in the morning so students can attend other camps, practices, jobs, and family activities.

As the program develops, Sonny said Linn may do relatively little traditional spring football work beyond “dawn patrols,” which consist of football-specific movement and additional training.

Once another sport’s season begins, he wants students focused on that activity. “Once it’s basketball season, they need to focus on basketball,” Sonny said. “Once it’s baseball season, they’re focused on baseball.”

He generally considers July the beginning of football season.

“Get your camps done in June,” Sonny said. “Go to your VBS. Do all that kind of stuff. We want to support you in everything possible. But once July starts, that’s kind of when football season starts.”

Participating in multiple sports helps young athletes develop while also reducing the risk of repetitive injuries.

“Being coached by other coaches is a great thing,” Sonny said. “The body moves in different ways in different sports.”

He has told parents there may be times when the coaching staff appears to be asking a great deal from players, but he believes the actual time commitment remains reasonable.

During winter conditioning, for example, students were asked to attend two 45-minute sessions each week.

“If every human being were to wake up in the morning and move for about 45 minutes, we’d all be a little healthier,” Sonny said.

He also encourages parents to compare the time requested by coaches with the amount students spend on their phones. “We don’t ask a whole lot. We just want them to show up and give their best every day,” Sonny said.

The best a student can offer may vary.

“Some days, 80% might be all you can give us, but just give us the 80,” Sonny said.

Accountability is part of preparing players for adulthood.

“All we want kids to do is what you’re expected to do at work,” he said. “You can’t no-call, no-show. Check in. Let us know what’s up.”

Coaches agreed that their larger purpose remains helping that student succeed. “We’re trying to help these guys in life,” Sonny said. “Sometimes it seems like we’re coming down on them, but it’s just a different standard and different accountability.”

PLANTING FOR THE FUTURE

Sonny said he hopes to remain at Linn and build something that lasts.

“I believe in farming,” he said. “I hope to be here a long time.”

He wants Linn football to become a source of pride and energy throughout the school district. “I really want this place to be put on the map,” Sonny said. “People want football here, and football is special. There’s a reason why it was brought back.”

He believes football can elevate every part of the school when a program is built properly.

“You see what it does for Blair Oaks,” Sonny said. “You see what it does for Helias. You see what it does for bigger schools. That’s what we want here.”

Those goals may appear ambitious, but Sonny does not apologize for them. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting good stuff here,” he said. “Some people think it’s a little far-fetched and crazy, but you’ve got to be odd to be No. 1.”

The Wildcats have not yet played their first game under the new staff, but Tramel said the direction is already evident. “The kids are really buying in,” he said. “It was immediately obvious to me that Coach Sonny had a vision for a culture — one that I wanted to buy into.”

Editor’s Note: A closer look at the football team, coaches, and players will appear later this fall, along with other sports from all three Osage County schools.