By Joanna Chadwick
In a move that just made sense to him, Ryan Schadler is the new Trinity Academy football coach.
“I’ve been around Trinity for a year now, and I’m super impressed with the administration and the teachers,” Schadler said. “I thought, ‘if I were ever to coach, this is where I’d want to do it at’ — just because of my career and calling. It fits well.
Schadler was a three-sport athlete at Hesston and played football at KU.
He is an associate pastor at Vima Church in Wichita.
“Part of my job at church is next gen and youth,” Schadler said. “I’m pouring into 13-18-year-old dudes all the time. I thought this could be really cool.”
Schadler believes it is the right time, even though Vima is building a new church, and the Schadlers have a two-month-old and a two-year-old.
“It’s a door that is opening that could fit well with what I do,” he said.
Schadler has already heard from coaches in the area, including Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State.
“It’s funny, they say, ‘I remember recruiting you when you were a Swather,'” Schadler said. “Being around here is great with support — our family is here, a lot of friends, all are fully supportive of it.”
It’s also the right time to move into coaching for Schadler.
“My body can’t play anymore, but the love for the game will translate,” he said. “I have the knowledge for the game, the x’s and o’s. But honestly, the biggest thing that I took from college is just culture.
“Implementing a culture and expectations and buy-in like you’ve never seen before — that’s what i’ll be focused on.
“The main reason I took this job is, yes, I want to win and draw up schemes. But it’s really to develop young men. It’s the calling I have in my life. It’s what I want to do with my life.”
