Feet Farther Performance

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1SuiMGBw1s/

https://www.facebook.com/share/19SwAu81o9/

BARABOO HIGH SCHOOL - Back To School Store Hurry, shop closes 08/10/2026!

Core Values of a Championship Program
by

The values are from The North Carolina women’s soccer program. They have won 21 NCAA National Championships since 1982. Even though these don’t come from a football program, there is definitely something you can use to develop your program’s culture.

The University of North Carolina Women’s Soccer Team’s Core Values

People who make a living from studying what makes organizations excellent usually boil their consistent success down to the group living a powerful set of core values. So if you were to read “In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best Run Companies” (by Tom Peters et. Al) or “Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies” (by Collins & Porras) or “Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap . . . and Others Don’t (Collins) or even “The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People (Covey) or “The 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Management” (Smith), and these might be the best of the books by the brightest minds, . . . what these people are trying to teach us is this: there are certain principles of behavior that produce extraordinary results.

Every year when I meet with the rising seniors each week in the spring our discussions center around our core values and what they can do to live them and how they can help drive everyone within the culture to live them as well. Human nature being what it is, some leaders embrace the personal and public challenge of our discussions and some don’t; just like some people within the culture live the core values and some just don’t have the strength.

What we are trying to do now is collect our core values under an umbrella of quotes that are meaningful to us (coaches and rising seniors). Obviously since I have been reflecting on this longer and with a better understanding of what kind of behavior will positively effect our culture (because I have seen quite a bit in coaching the past 36 years) much of what you are going to digest are ideas that have inspired me.

Still every rising senior has made contributions or is sold on these ideas because we ask them to review them in the spring. We need them to embrace and live what we have collected below because our culture and core values are only as strong as our leaders and what they endorse and drive as acceptable behavior.
So over the past 33 years, since our program began in 1979, what are the best elements of our tradition? What are our core values?

The Core Values

I. Let’s begin with this, we don’t whine. This tough individual can handle any situation and never complains about anything on or off the field. (“The true joy in life is to be a force of fortune instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.” George Bernard Shaw).



TOUGH – from Nordic wheel cross signifying thunder, power, and energy



II. The truly extraordinary do something every day. This individual has remarkable self-discipline, does the summer workout sheets from beginning to end without omission or substitution, and every day has a plan to do something to get better. (“Roosevelt, more than any other man living within the range of notoriety showed the singular primitive quality that belongs to ultimate matter, the quality that medieval theology assigned to God: ‘he was pure act’.” Henry Adams Theodore Rex – Desmond Morris).



DISCIPLINED – from “careful” cycle on washing machine



III. And we want these four years of college to be rich, valuable and deep. This is that focused individual that is here for the “right reason” to get an education. She leads her life here with the proper balance and an orientation towards her intellectual growth, and against the highest public standards and most noble universal ideals, she makes good choices to best represent herself, her team, and her university. (“College is about books. And by the word books, the proposition means this: College is about the best available tools—books, computers, lab equipment—for broadening your mastery of one or more important subjects that will go on deepening your understanding of the world, yourself and the people around you.

This will almost certainly be the last time in your life when other people bear the expense of awarding you four years of financially unburdened time. If you use the years primarily for mastering the skills of social life—as though those skills shouldn’t already have been acquired by the end of middle school—or if you use these years for testing the degree to which your vulnerable brain and body can bear the strains of the alcoholism with which a number of students depart campus, or the sexual excess that can seem so rewarding (to name only two of the lurking maelstroms), then you may ultimately leave this vast table of nutriment as the one more prematurely burnt-out case.” Reynolds Price).



FOCUSED – from camera focus button



IV. We work hard. This individual embodies the “indefatigable human spirit” and never stops pushing herself. She is absolutely relentless in training and in the match. (“The difference between one person and another, between the weak and the powerful, the great and the insignificant, is energy – invisible determination . . . This quality will do anything that has to be done in the world, and no talents, no circumstances, no opportunities will make you a great person without it.” Thomas Buxton – Philanthropist).



RELENTLESS – from the symbol for Saturn: god of “relentless natural forces”



V. We don’t freak out over ridiculous issues or live in fragile states of emotional catharsis or create crises where none should exist. The best example is the even-keeled stoic that is forever unflappable and resilient. The worst example is the “over-bred dog,” that high maintenance, overly sensitive “flower” that becomes unstable or volatile over nothing significant. (“What an extraordinary place of liberties the West really is . . . exempt from many of the relentless physical and social obligations necessary for a traditional life for survival, they become spoiled and fragile like over bred dogs; neurotic and prone to a host of emotional crises elsewhere.” Jason Elliot An Unexpected Light: Travels in Afghanistan).



RESILIENT – nautical buoy symbol which rises and falls with the water, always staying upright.



VI. We choose to be positive. Nothing can depress or upset this powerful and positive life force – no mood swings, not even negative circumstances can affect this “rock”. (“ . . . everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. And there were always choices to make. Every day, every hour, offered the opportunity to make a decision, a decision which determined whether you would or would not submit to those powers which threatened to rob you of your very self, your inner freedom; which determined whether or not you would become the plaything of circumstance . . . in the final analysis it becomes clear that the sort of person (you are is) the result of an inner decision . . . therefore, any man can . . . decide . . . that (this) last inner freedom cannot be lost.” Viktor E. Frankl Man’s Search for Meaning).



POSITIVE



VII. We treat everyone with respect. This is that classy angel that goes out of her way to never separate herself from anyone or make anyone feel beneath her. “Class is the graceful way you treat someone even when they can do nothing for you.” Doug Smith, Mgr (’86))



CLASSY – British hobo symbol for “here live generous people”



VIII. We care about each other as teammates and as human beings. This is that non-judgmental, caring and inclusive friend that never says a negative thing about anyone and embraces everyone because of their humanity, with no elitist separation by academic class, social class, race, religious preference, or sexual orientation. (“No man is an island, entire of itself, every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main . . . any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” John Donne For Whom the Bell Tolls).



CARING



IX. When we don’t play as much as we would like we are noble and still support the team and its mission. This remarkably noble, self sacrificing, generous human being always places the team before herself. (“If there is a meaning in life at all, then there must be a meaning in suffering. Suffering is an ineradicable part of life, even as fate and death. Without suffering and death human life cannot be complete. The way in which a man accepts his fate and all the suffering it entails, the way in which he takes up his cross, gives him ample opportunity – even under the most difficult circumstances – to add a deeper meaning to his life. It may remain brave, dignified and unselfish. Or in the bitter fight for self-preservation he may forget his human dignity and become no more than an animal. Here lies the chance for a man either to make use of or to forgo the opportunities of attaining the moral values that a difficult situation may afford him. And this decides whether he is worthy of his sufferings or not.” Viktor E. Frankl Man’s Search for Meaning).



NOBLE – Hittite sign for king





X. We play for each other. This is the kind of player that works herself to death covering for all of her teammates in the toughest games. Her effort and care (her verbal encouragement) make her a pleasure to play with and her selflessness on and off the field helps everyone around her. (“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Note given to me by Rakel Karvelsson (UNC ’98))



SELFLESS – from combination of ancient symbols for “not” and “relating to self”



XI. We are well led. This is the verbal leader on the field that is less concerned about her popularity and more concerned about holding everyone to their highest standards and driving her teammates to their potential. This galvanizing person competes all the time and demands that everyone else do as well! (“Not long ago, to ‘believe in yourself’ meant taking a principled, and often lonely, stand when it appeared difficult or dangerous to do so. Now it means accepting one’s own desires and inclinations, whatever they may be, and taking whatever steps that may be necessary to advance them.” William Damon Greater Expectations).

(“Not often in the story of mankind does a man arrive on earth who is both steel and velvet, who is as hard as rock and soft as drifting fog, who holds in his heart and mind the paradox of terrible storm and peace unspeakable and perfect.” Carl Sandburg about Abraham Lincoln)



GALVANIZING – international symbol for pushbutton or switch



XII. We want our lives (and not just in soccer) to be never ending ascensions but for that to happen properly our fundamental attitude about life and our appreciation for it is critical. This is that humble, gracious high-achiever that is grateful for everything that she has been given in life, and has a contagious generosity and optimism that lights up a room just by walking into it. (“Finally there is the question of whether we have a duty to feel grateful. Hundreds of generations who came before us lived dire, short lives, in deprivation or hunger, in ignorance or under oppression or during war, and did so partly motivated by the dream that someday there would be men and women who lived long lives in liberty with plenty to eat and without fear of an approaching storm.

Suffering through privation, those who came before us accumulated the knowledge that makes our lives favored; fought the battles that made our lives free; physically built much of what we rely on for our prosperity; and, most important, shaped the ideals of liberty. For all the myriad problems of modern society, we now live in the world our forebears would have wished for us—in many ways, a better place than they dared imagine. For us not to feel grateful is treacherous selfishness.

Failing to feel grateful to those who came before is such a corrosive notion, it must account at some level for part of our bad feelings about the present. The solution—a rebirth of thankfulness—is in our self-interest”. Gregg Easterbrook, The Progress Paradox.)



GRATEFUL – Gordian knot indicating person is “bound” by debt of thanks

Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership
by

These leadership commandments were written by Kent M. Keith.

Some really good thoughts to apply to our own leadership styles and attitudes as well as to share with our coaching staffs and players.

1. People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway.

2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.

3. If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.

4. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

5. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.

6. The biggest men with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.

7. People favor underdogs, but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

8. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.

9. People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. Help people anyway.

10. Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.

Thank you to all of the Fathers of our Thunder Throwers! I am grateful for your unwavering guidance and support to our students athletes and for allowing me to work with them as their throws Coach! You are truly valued and appreciated!!

Officially closing out the 2026 Field and Track Season for the Baraboo Thunder Throwers by sharing some statistical tidbits and fun facts from the season in relation to our throws program milestones/goals and accomplishments:

- Began the season with 25 throwers between both boys and girls teams - 11th time in the last 15 seasons that we have had 25 or more throwers collectively.

- Were able to create new flag markers for the discus event for our home meets thanks to a generous donation by Martha Palecek of Just Crafty LLC of Downtown Baraboo.

- Named the shot put/discus throws area at Beryl Newman Stadium behind BHS as the "F.O.R.C.S.S. Field Throws Complex"; Acronym honoring the most successful throws families and coaches from throughout Baraboo History - "Frish, Osgood, Rogers, Cormican, Stieve, Schaefer."

- Surpassed the 300 mark for individual event 1st Place Finishes since 2009 for a total of 313.

- Freshman Kimani Clarke had the most significant jump in distance for the discus throw in one meet in Thunder Thrower history going from 38' on his first throw to 83' on his last throw.

- Lily Rogers winning the Sectional Championship for girls shot and discus brought the total number of Sectional Championships for Baraboo Throwers up to 13 since 2009.

- Had two indoor state qualifiers in the shot put (WTFA) with Lily Rogers finishing on podium in 3rd Place and Aiden Dineen finishing in the 26th spot out of 60 throwers.

- Lily Rogers (Jr.) set the indoor shot put record for BHS at 46'10" breaking the record previously held by Josie Schaefer, Class of 2017.

- Junior Lily Rogers won every Varsity outdoor shot put and discus event for the girls team this season.

- Baraboo Throwers won the Regional Championship in all 4 events - Girls Shot/Disc, Boys Shot/Disc with Lily Rogers winning both the girls shot put and discus repeating her Regional Performance from her Freshmen season - Elijah O'Donahue (Jr.) won the boys Regional Discus Championship and Aiden Dineen (Sr.) won the boys Regional Shot Put Championship.

- The 4 Regional Championships brought the total number of Regional Titles for the throws up to 21 since 2009.

- John Rogers (Sr.) won the individual boys shot put title for Baraboo Relays at the 66th Annual Event with a throw of 45'5". The first male Baraboo Thrower to do so in the past 16 years.

- Had at least 3 throwers advance to the Sectional Meet again this season for the 12th season in a row.

- Lily Rogers taking silver at State in both the shot put and discus marked the highest finish at the state meet for any thrower and any Baraboo Track athlete since Josie Schaefer in 2017.

- Lily Rogers advancing to the State Meet marks the 11th time out of the past 12 seasons that we have sent at least one thrower to State.

- Finished this season with 15 top 6 State Meet Finishes since 2009.

- Sophomore Jacob Ringelstetter put together one of the finest season by a male thrower in 10th Grade since Connor Weckerly's 2015 season cresting several significant marks on a quest to securing a Varsity Letter. He also won the JV Conference Shot Put Meet with a PR of 42'8".

- The boys discus event took the top 5 scoring places in a Quad at Deforest for the first time in throws history.

- Had several throwers - Aiden Dineen, John Rogers, Jacob Ringelstetter, Ella Haskins, Elijah O'Donahue and Ellenna Gallo experience their first ever 1st Place Finishes in a Meet for either shot put or discus this season.

- We had an historic Baraboo Relays Meet with our Boys Shot Relay, Girls Shot Relay, and Girls Discus Relay finishing in 1st Place, while the boys discus relay finished in second place. This is the highest finishing performance for the 4 events since the 2016 season.

- Juniors Ellenna Gallo and Jaiden Walters both consistently threw over 30' in the shot put all season to give us 3 throwers over 30', which is a gold standard in the throws world on the girls side. This is was the 11th season out of the past 12 that we have been able to field 3 female throwers tossing over 30' in the shot.

- We had two Freshman ladies - Evelyn Mjelde in the discus and Abbigail Giebel in the shot - competing in the Regionals Championship for the first time since 2014 when Josie Schaefer and Kelsey Judge did so.

- Volunteer coach Tim Haskins, Ella's Dad, became the 4th co-throws coach since the 2009 season.

- Our boys Thunder Throwers had 5 guys over 40' in the shot put (John Rogers, Aiden Dineen, Javohn Funmaker, Julius Pillsbury and Jacob Ringelstetter) and several others in the high 30's.

- Our boys Thunder Throwers had 5 guys over the 120' mark in the discus - Julius Pillsbury, John Rogers, Elijah O'Donahue, Jacob Ringelstetter, and Aiden Dineen - for the first time in over 15 years.

- Freshmen Isaac Stansberry and Jackson Mumm PR'd at near or over 100' in the discus, which is a major standard for Freshmen at the high school level.

- Freshman Rylee Johnson finished in the top 5 at JV Conference with a PR throw of 80'.

- Aiden Dineen and John Rogers climbed several huge spots in the all time distance list for shot put in BHS history.

- Elijah O'Donahue, John Rogers, Aiden Dineen, and Jacob Ringelstetter established themselves on the all-distance list for discus in BHS history.

- Sophomore Ella Haskins and Junior Ellenna Gallo cemented themselves on the BHS All-Time distance list for girls discus and girls shot put respectfully.

- Freshman Evelyn Mjelde competed in the WISTCA Freshmen Showcase Meet at Arrowhead High School a week after State and finished in 9th Place. Evelyn crested the 100' mark this season - great for a Freshman and a distance that puts her on the all-time honor roll for girls discus after 1 season.

- Lily Rogers broke & set the venue record for shot put and/or discus in 6 high school stadiums throughout the season - Portage, Deforest, Sauk, Verona, Wisconsin Dells, and Waunakee.

- Lily Rogers finished the season being named as the Badger Large Conference Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year; she also was named a finalist for the Gatorade Athlete of the Year for the State of Wisconsin.

- Lily Rogers' 3 State Appearances this season (Indoor Shot & Outdoor Shot/Discus) brought her total number of Indoor/Outdoor State Meet qualifiers up to 8 for her career which ties Josie Schaefer & Theresa Kingery-Rake for most ever in BHS Thunder Throwers history.

- All Throwers exhibited many great moments of high character and sportsmanship throughout the season receiving many shout outs and gestures of appreciation from competitors, opposing coaches, officials and meet works throughout the season.

2026 Meet Throws Chart -
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pqo0RmupMYRpzA7KC0159Cg14f8CQJhPskfiVTVYXzA/edit?usp=sharing

Fresh off an incredible performance at State Track and Field last weekend, Junior, Lily Rogers was voted the Badger Large Conference Girls Field Athlete of the Year. Congratulations on this award and an amazing season!

I've been working on figuring out how to best capture the historic season put forth by the Rogers Family of siblings, especially without any semblance of newspaper coverage like what we've had in the past. Using the AI platforms Google Gemini and Chat GPT, I put together two articles that hopefully encapsulate the accomplishments of John, Lily and Haddy to our standard.
Thank you for allowing me to come along for the ride!

Gemini Article - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZSvhBBl0n3yIT_Slq0hiQdN2xXNcGKPw39RlZWS_Bb0/edit?usp=sharing

Chat GPT Article - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1psAXI8G3UMmw-wBxPoG8SWr6rAtiyN8Q/view?usp=sharing

https://www.facebook.com/share/1DiZNZGA9b/