SKILLFUL, INTENTIONAL, ON PURPOSE: INDIO MIDDLE RISES ‘ABOVE THE LINE’

The Coachella Valley non-profit sports leadership organization fearlessly trotted out team captains to teach their vaunted ‘Above the Line’ curriculum, complete with the Coyote Leadership Quiz – and the results were palpable.

-Linebacker and Bemidji State graduate Gary Young, the Coyotes 2016 leading tackler, laid the foundation for a life ‘Above the Line.’ Skillful, intentional and on-purpose, with zero blaming, complaining or excuses.

“Growth always uses past truth,” Young said. “Growth accelerates when someone’s watching.”

-Defensive end and Arizona State graduate Jake Sheffield, the Coyotes all-time sack leader (56), taught the ‘R Factor’ – Event + Response = Outcome.

“Good or bad, your actions are so loud we can’t hear what you’re saying,” said Sheffield, a U.S. Marine and veteran of two wars. “We are measured by our actions, not our intentions.”

-Left tackle and College of the Desert graduate Johnathan Zazueta – an Indio native who attended Indio Middle School – explained that “we don’t control” life’s events.

“Discomfort marks the place where the old you meets the new you,” said Zazueta, who enters his 10th Coyote season this summer. “Success is not achieved by a single heroic response.”

At the close, Hall of Fame head coach J David Miller bared the Coyotes hearts.

“We’re here today because you are the valley’s future, and we love you,” said the three-time coach of the year. “There is no such thing as success unless we can demonstrate and duplicate the process in the lives of others.”

Flood Response, whose clients include many of the desert’s most upscale properties, joins The City of Indio and General Air Conditioning & Plumbing as title corporate partners of the SoCal Coyotes.

In its fifth year and 10th season, the non-profit sports leadership organization touches 30,000 youth annually through clinics, camps, workshops and symposiums.

All Coyote programs encourage youth to engage in 60 minutes of daily reading. Custom Coyote curriculum typically covers the top (3) core subjects in schools – Math, English and Science, and is administered in-person by visiting role-model athletes, who engage and encourage students to read more and read better.

The ‘Restore the Roar’ initiative includes three specific Coyote leadership programs, which will enjoy immediate impact from Flood Response, long considered the valley’s go-to specialist when disaster, devastation or the unthinkable occurs.

-Above the Line™ – The Coyotes and Flood Response kicked off the first of four spring leadership symposiums at Indio Middle School on Friday, March 3. Packed with practical wisdom and inspiration, this step-by-step study teaches how relationships of trust are built to lead a life of significance.

-Readers are Leaders™ is led by Coyote players and utilizes the unique tool ‘READ 60’ – a dynamic, custom-crafted interactive coloring book, packed with stories and a Coyotes narrative encouraging good citizenship, teamwork and the building of strong community. Other topics address bullying, poetry, financial literacy, and health & fitness.

-Real Men Read – is a cooperative with local authorities that permits approved Coyotes players and coaches to read and share with juvenile offenders.

-Youth Accountability – For four years, the Coyotes annually host mini-camps and events with the Youth Strength Academy and Riverside County Youth Accountability Team (YAT).

The standard and award-winning Coyote Leadership Quiz™ is distributed annually across an array of youth platforms that cover all genders, ages, races, and socio-economic barriers.

FLOOD RESPONSE is the Coachella Valley’s most experienced, largest and most trusted restoration corporation, and a Southern California industry leader in disaster repair, structural drying, water and sewage extraction, mold remediation, and fire and smoke damage. For more information, visit www.floodresponse.com.

SWAT Fuel, Inc., an international Thousand Palms-based nutrition company that produces professional grade consumer supplements, is another Coyote partner on board for the “Restore the Roar” crusade. SWAT (www.swatfuel.com) is distributing funds to 10 Coachella Valley schools for assets and resources that challenge students to read and learn. 

DISCOVER how The Pro Football Educator, operated by former Denver Broncos GM and two-time Super Bowl winner Ted Sundquist, selected the SoCal Coyotes as America’s #1 Developmental Pro Football Program. Visit www.thesocalcoyotes.com.

FAITH, FAMILY, FOOTBALL is the real mission of the Coyotes – and not surprisingly, something that dates back to the great Vince Lombardi in 1959. More than game tape. More than a weight room. More than a 40 time. The Coyote mission of ‘Building Champions, Building Men™’ reaches far beyond the actual gridiron, deep into the development of young athletes as fathers, husbands, and men.

SEVENTY PLAYERS EACH YEAR earn the distinction to ‘Defend the Shield™’ in the uniform of the SoCal Coyotes. Many will earn a shot with NFL, CFL or AFL opportunities, or graduate into business careers.

For more information, email SVP Ron DiGrandi at [email protected].