CRESTLINE — Football coach Michael Winland wanted his players to learn the importance of teamwork and serving others.
When Winland arrived in Crestline as a social studies teacher and coach in 2022, he began looking for volunteer opportunities.
“One of the first things I wanted to do is I wanted to build some team chemistry. I wanted to get the kids out in the community,” said Winland, who teaches eighth and ninth grade social studies.
“An opportunity presented itself for us to work with the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars). I was really excited about that because many of my family members have served in the military. I wanted our kids to have the experience of working with veterans.”
Players have helped the VFW set up tents and put miniature American flags at the graves of fallen soldiers.
In recognition of that partnership, Winland received this year’s District 10 VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher Award.
The award is open to all kindergarten through 12th grade teachers in Ohio’s District 10, which includes 15 VFW posts.
“It’s an opportunity for the VFW to recognize educators that not only follow the curriculum, but go the extra step to educate their students in patriotism and community service,” said VFW Post 2920 Commander Dave Saurers.
Teachers are scored based on how they encourage citizenship, innovation in the classroom, utilization of resources and passion for teaching.
Saurers said he chose to nominate Winland because of his team’s continued involvement with the post. He said having young men helps during physically demanding tasks, since many VFW members are older.
“He’s a heck of an educator. He’s a good person and the Crestline school system is really great when it comes to partnering with our VFW,” Saurers said.
“Anytime our VFW Post needed physical help, (Winland) and his players would be up there.”
Building intergenerational connections
Winland said he was honored to receive the award, but also to build connections between veterans and students.
“I saw the kids in a different light. They weren’t intimidated to talk to people that they normally wouldn’t go out of their way to talk to,” Winland said.
“The veterans were very receptive to sharing their stories. They loved being able to share their day with the players and many of them played football at Crestline.”
The players helped place flags on local veterans’ graves the weekend before Memorial Day and collect them again after Veteran’s Day. Winland watched as they began reading the headstones to find out when each veteran served and pondered what they might have seen.
“At first it was just looking for the thing and putting the flag in it,” he said. “But as they walked, they started moving slower. They started asking more questions.”
Winland won’t be returning to the football field this fall, but said he plans to stay in Crestline as a teacher.
He hopes the football team will continue its partnership with the VFW.
“I think many times in our society we’re so social media-driven that we don’t make those connections and we don’t build those relationships with different generations like we should,” he said.
“That was a good time for us because it really did slow everything down and it became a human interaction.”
Saurers said his post has a longstanding positive relationship with Crestline’s schools. It’s one he hopes to continue as well.
“Any time we have something happening at the post that we need help with, all we have to do is call a teacher and we have students that show up,” he said.
“I hate to sound like my dad or my grandpa, but it gives me hope. Today’s youth don’t seem to be very interested in that stuff, but there are good kids out there.”