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AN INTERVIE W WITH

RYAN MILLER

L UTHERAN WEST A THLE TIC DIRECT OR

BY JESSICA MILLER of time. We want our student-athletes to de- (congenital or traumatic amputees) to sup-

CLHSA DIRECTOR OF velop the tools to deal with adversity, help- port them playing mainstream sports. With
COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING ing them to develop the mental toughness our intentional focus on Servant Leadership,
and perserverence needed to navigate life’s we are also encouraging our student-athletes
JM: Which interscholastic sports are currently challenges. to serve their communities in a micro sense,
offered at Lutheran West? Branding – We have rolled out a new long- determining the small daily things they can
RM: In the fall, we have teams compet- horn logo for athletics. We have a style do that make a huge difference in uplifting
ing in football, volleyball, soccer, cross guide, which defines proper usage of the their peers and their school.
country, golf, and cheerleading. The winter logo, has helped boost the professionalism
season brings basketball, basketball, wres- and consistency of our image. JM: How do athletics fit into the overall mission of
tling, bowling, indoor track & field, and Facilities –In the last three years, we have Lutheran West?
cheer. In the spring, Lutheran West offers undergone two major facility upgrades. In RM: Lutheran West has a strong histo-
baseball, softball, and track & field. May 2018, the weight room was gutted; we ry and tradition of athletics. For a smaller
installed all new equipment and new floor- school, the close-knit community support
JM: Lutheran West is in its first year in the ing, which features an artificial turf section. is impressive. Participation in athletics also
Chagrin Valley Conference. How do you see With the newly renovated facility, named the allows students to learn to be a good team-
Lutheran West fitting into this league? Senney Strength and Conditioning Room, mate, work together, be accountable, and
RM: The league is a great fit. The CVC we hired Dave Krieger ’08 as our full-time develop a work ethic. These are all lifelong
consists of 22 schools ranging in size. Strength and Conditioning Coach. Coach skills that we aim to teach all students, not
They are intentional regarding scheduling; Krieger has been a welcome addition and just student-athletes.
considering school size, geography, and an impactful resource to all student-athletes
natural rivalries. This thoughtful consider- and coaches. The second major renovation Q: How does participation in LW athletics trans-
ation allows for a more balanced league in was to the Karen Wittrock Gymnasium, late into collegiate opportunities for student-athletes?
terms of competition. In the PAC, we com- which received new lighting, new paint, new A: The NCAA and NAIA generate statistics
peted with mostly Lorain County schools. flooring, and Daktronics® digital score- on the probability of high school athletes
We now compete against more schools in boards featuring an LED video board. moving on to continue playing in college:
Cuyahoga County, which will give us broad- the percentages range anywhere from 1% to
er media coverage in Cleveland. The CVC JM: Tell me more about the renovation of The 12%, depending on the sport. At a school
also focuses on the student first, offering Wittrock Gymnasium . . . in what ways will this of our size, we tend to see more students
programming and development oppor- improvement impact the player and fan experience? moving on to Division III schools. In 2018-
tunities for student-athletes, coaches, and RM: The renovation has modernized the 2019, we had 11 student-athletes committed
administrators outside of sports―which I gym. We are one of only a handful of to college at various levels, which translates
believe is an ideal fit for our school culture schools in the greater Cleveland area to have to 17% of all student-athlete seniors. The
and mission. the LED video board technology in its gym. fact that this number is significantly higher
The game experience for players and fans than the national average is a testament to
JM: What are the biggest changes you’ve seen in is significantly improved, as the video board the quality of student-athlete were are bless-
Longhorn Athletics during your time as connects the crowd with the game. The new ed to have here at Lutheran West.
Athletic Director? scoreboards also allow us to partner with
RM: Culture – Culture is a word that is local businesses, who can now advertise Q: How can supporters of Lutheran West make an
thrown around quite a bit these days and during games. This provides Lutheran West impact on the opportunities provided to student-ath-
can get watered down. In the past three with an additional revenue stream to invest letes?
years, we have spent a lot of time looking at back into our Athletic Department. A: If it’s an option for you, one impact-
who we are at Lutheran West and the values ful thing you can do is simply to attend
that differentiate us from other schools. We JM: How are student-athletes at Lutheran West contests to support Longhorn student-ath-
have identified two distinct cultural pillars serving their school community? letes as they compete. Secondly, if anyone
on which we aim to focus on a daily basis. RM: Student-athletes are serving just as any is interested in financial support, we have
First, Servant Leadership, which is about lift- other student would. The school has a ser- many opportunities, including the new
ing others up with humility, integrity, and vice hours requirement each year as part of scoreboard, to partner or donate to the
selflessness. There are many applicable Bib- the curriculum. In addition, various athletic Athletic Department. Financial contributions
lical passages that help us articulate to our programs will donate time and attention to help us provide our student-athletes with a
students what it means to serve others. The organizations. For example, our basketball first-class experience while also building our
second pillar―Grit―is defined as passion programs support Nubability®; a founda- brand to attract the best and brightest in the
and perseverance over an extended period tion that works with limb-different youth Cleveland area to Lutheran West.

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