MIA Football Team Takes to the Water for Team Building

While football coaches throughout Southwest Florida were testing their teams this weekend in preview games and jamborees, Marco Island Academy's first year head coach, Lew Montgomery, was doing another type of team building. On Saturday morning Montgomery’s team met at the Capri Paddlecraft Park for a two-hour kayaking trip.

The Rays will open the regular season Friday, August 27, at Canterbury, without the advantage of a practice game.

“Like most things so far,” Montgomery said, "we work with what we've got and what is meant to be, will be. I think that we are where we are supposed to be as a team. The fact we weren’t scheduled for a preseason scrimmage is what it is, so we take advantage of it. It is just like preseason. If the fields were too wet to use, we went to the beach. If lightning showed up, we could slow down and do chalk talk. We are finding out that we are a team that takes what is offered to us and uses it to our benefit.”

Montgomery, a history teacher at MIA, is connecting with his inexperienced players in a non-traditional way. On the practice field he is known to quote Mr. Miyagi from the “Karate Kid” movie as he mentors his green players. 

“This is all about brotherhood today,” he said. "It’s just about bonding and letting them have fun. They’ve been putting in so much hard work. I think that they want to be together, so let’s do it in a way that they’ll have fun and see their backyard. It’s amazing how so many people who live around here don’t know how much Marco has to offer.  

“Just more knowledge of each other. The key to everything we’re trying to do - even on the field - is getting them in the same rhythm. The more they can be around each other, the more they can learn about each other. It becomes in sync. I think we need a little bit of this,” he says, spreading his hands out to the nature around him, “where it’s joyful."  

Just like the “Karate Kid”?

“Wax on, wax off, exactly,” Montgomery said. "It all comes together. I really think they need to understand that they can lean on each other. They can have fun with each other. Because we’re going to have a tough season. There’s going to be trying times. They’re going to have brothers they can lean on. And that’s what today is about, building that brotherhood. We’ve been doing X and O’s, now we’re doing Bro’s. We all had a chance to spend quality time together with everyone smiling and enjoying each other’s company. We always enjoy our time together but when I am conditioning them, they don’t think it is as fun as I do.

"Having the chance to get everyone out on the water and experiencing the trip together was really magical. I know the boys left the park making plans to spend more time together. This was a major goal for us as coaches - to build that team dynamic and brotherhood."

MIA principal Melissa Scott paddled along with Montgomery and his players. She was not surprised by what she experienced Saturday. She sees parallels to his teaching in the classroom and on the football field.

"He brings the same energy and passion to both,” Scott said. "His love of history comes through much like his love of football. He is passionate, dedicated, and has complete buy-in to both. He leads first with love and in turn earns that and respect from both his students and players. I had so much fun today."

Glenn Livesey, owner of Paddle Marco, host of the event, has bought in to what Montgomery is teaching. He’s seen Montgomery in action this summer.

“He’s been working with us this summer,” Livesey said. "So, he’s been training and training. He fell in love with this job. He contacted me to do this as a team building exercise for a pretty well defeated team over the past three years. So, this may be a way for him to get that team on the right track.”

Livesey feels Montgomery was born to lead.

“He has that natural instinct,” Livesey said, “it’s in the blood. I know his dad. I know his brother. He’s just good. He’s great with people. These boys respect him. I saw that today, and I’ve never met any of these boys. A lot of teams do different stuff. The Los Angeles Lakers go on bike rides through the city. Seeing how people react in different environments all just builds that process of how they’re going to play on the field with each other.”

On August 2, Montgomery held his first practice with 15 prospects. Twenty days later things are looking up.

“We’re up to 31 players,” Montgomery said with an easy smile.

Montgomery is owning the fact MIA has not won a football game for the past three seasons. He is upbeat about the team’s future.

 “Very optimistic,” Montgomery said. “We’re definitely going to have our hands full Friday. Canterbury is a good squad. I’m excited."