The phrase “total effort” is something the Pleasant Valley football team takes pride in. Whether on or off the field, players are expected to give everything they have in order to get better. The coaches at Pleasant Valley not only try to develop students as athletes, but as people too. Joe Youngbauer, teacher, is an assistant varsity football coach at Pleasant Valley High School. As part of developing players and people, Youngbauer and other coaches try to help the athletes be the best teammates they can be.                                                                                         

Youngbauer characterized, “A good teammate is someone who simply puts the needs of the team above their own personal wants. A good teammate finds as much joy in seeing another team member make a great play as they do in their own success. A good teammate loves to work and practice because they know in order for the team to be their best, they as an individual must be at their best. A good teammate respects and genuinely cares about the members of the team and coaches.” Youngbauer and the other members of the coaching staff hope their players understand the concept of what being a good teammate is. Youngbauer says an athlete exemplifies characteristics of being a good teammate “by working hard in everything they do, cheering on teammates, picking up teammates when they are down, doing the little things right, being coachable, respecting teammates, working to improve themselves, doing whatever the coach asks, and bringing attention to others and the team over themselves.”

Youngbauer and the coaches aren’t the only ones who see the importance of being a good teammate. Terry Saul, senior, is the quarterback for Pleasant Valley’s football team. Saul commented on being a good teammate, saying, “I think as the leader that it is important to be a good teammate because it lets your teammates know what’s right and wrong, and if they see me doing something right they are more likely to follow me.” Saul understands the importance and noted, “Some ways that I try to be a good teammate to everyone is to let everybody know that their role on the team is important. No matter if you’re a starter, a backup, on special teams, or on scout team — you matter.”

Throughout this season, the boys have been working hard to get better every week. Whether they are looking to make a play better or trying to be a better teammate, the Pleasant Valley football team is giving their total effort.