The Benilde St. Margaret’s Red Knights’ successful football season has come to an end. One player had a particularly special season. Senior Joe Schumacher’s season was a rollercoaster. He dealt with injuries and even was a student coach. However, he kept a positive mindset throughout the season to ensure he had a fun senior year.
Schumacher had an unfortunate injury before the start of the season. He knew that he wasn’t going to just sit on the sidelines all year and wanted to help the team out in any way possible. He got the opportunity to coach the freshman and sophomore teams and couldn’t say no. “I still wanted to keep involved with the plays and the community, so that was just the middle ground for me,” Schumacher said.
He also helped coach the freshman team for four weeks, and the kids liked having a coach whom they could relate to. They felt they could make more connections with him, and he was much nicer than the other coaches. Joe made a significant impact on all the players’ seasons by helping them stay motivated and serving as a positive role model. “Whenever something’s going badly, or you need help, he will help you; he keeps you motivated and keeps you in check,” freshman Anthony Akakpo said.
Schumacher learned a lot from having to come back from his injury and how a different perspective can change how you think. The various roles of being a player and then being a coach helped him learn different types of thinking.“When you’re a player, you’re just focused 100% on playing and knowing the plays. But when you’re a coach, I had to consider who’s best for what plays, substitutions, fatigue, all that kind of stuff,” Schumacher said.
He made a comeback for the state quarterfinal game, starting as a middle linebacker in his final high school game. He is a player who always has a positive attitude and wants to contribute in some sort of way. The experience Schumacher has had throughout his football career will be something that he will remember for the rest of his life. He is seen as a genuinely lovely guy and will help anyone, regardless of who they are. “He will always help you whenever you need help, when somebody’s bothering you, or when somebody is doing something to you, he will stand up for you,” freshman Gehrig Hensen said.