Thanks in part to the tremendous support from the Simla community, David Guy has turned the Simla Cubs into perennial winners in 8-man football.
Over the four seasons that preceded Guy becoming the football team's head coach, the Cubs suffered three losing seasons. Since Guy took over five seasons ago, they have yet to endure a single season that featured more losses than wins. Last year, Simla was undefeated until the state championship game.
This year, they're looking to rectify their championship disappointment, and are off to a terrific start. Through three weeks, the Cubs are 3-0 and have outscored their opponents 153-6.
Overall record at Simla: 31-9
Overall record as a head coach: 31-9 in football. 154-77 in basketball.
Previous coaching experience: Head Coach Baseball 2010-12
Why do you coach high school sports?
I have a passion for sports and a passion for kids. I want to help kids reach their absolute maximum potential in whatever they choose to do in life and sport provides the best "vehicle" possible to help get them down the correct road. I hope that at some point in life, when a former player needs some help to get through a tough time, our time together while they were in high school can be used as a tool to help get them through it and find the positive on the other side. I coach because I love it when I see former players at weddings or community-wide activities and we get to hug each other and I can tell them how much I love them and how much I miss them. When they say "thank you" to me, it means more than any win could ever amount to. I coach because I want my players to believe in themselves as much as I believe in them!
How would your players describe your coaching philosophy?
Passionate, Intense, Driven, Unrelenting, Detailed. I believe that my players have the same characteristics. I believe that every single one of my assistant coaches has the same characteristics. I come by the passion and intensity through genetics. My grandpa was a Navy Seal in World War II and his passion, work ethic, and intensity for everything he did was on full display every day. My dad (Jerry) and brother (John) are the exact same way. My details come from my mom and my grandma's. My mom (June) would never let it be "good enough", it had to be "100% correct". My grandmas were the same as my mom. My wife (Carrie) gives me the motivation to do my best every day no matter what that means. Some days are better than others, but when you lay your head down on your pillow, it better be because you gave it your all for the whole day. My kids (Evan and Lexi) are always watching everything I do, so if I don't outwork every person I coach against then I am teaching my kids that going through the motions is acceptable and I just can't let them down in that regard.
What is a lesson or life lesson you try to teach your student-athletes?
No matter what happens during a game, there are two things that we have control over -- attitude and effort. Life is no different. Don't ever lose out on a job because you gave a so-so interview. Lose out on a job because you gave it your all and the other person was just better at that particular time. Never let anyone outwork you, ever! 99% of life is not what happens to you, it is how you respond to what happens to you and that is determined by your attitude. Most importantly, we are never alone in whatever we are doing. In football and for the rest of their lives, there will always be someone there for them, I am always there for them. They are my boy for the rest of their lives. We do everything for each other, and the reward is tenfold back to us. Someday, these young men are going to be great fathers, husbands, and community members and hopefully we have helped shape them along the way so they can influence people in a positive way.
What has been the key to Simla’s Success over these past two seasons?
The coaching staff I have to support me and the team’s leadership. I have, in both sports, assistant coaches that are second to none. They devote more hours and effort than they should to our cause, and the players and I are truly appreciative of all that they do. For the second year in a row, as coaches, we never end practice or a post-game meeting -- the players do it. I might give some boring logistics talk, but the boys finish up the meeting because it is their team. It is not mine. We are a player-led, player-driven team. And also the community, administration, parent and school support. We literally look like a movie when we go to away games. The bus leads and we will have a caravan of 40-50 cars following us all the way to the game. While we prepare before the game, the community does too. We are "all in" this together. You just can't imagine it without seeing it for yourself. I challenge anyone who has not seen a small-town football game to come and watch the community support that we get at Simla.
Your team has allowed just six points so far this season. How have they been so dominant?
Our kids, to borrow from Coach Prime, are smart, fast, tough, disciplined, and filled with character. We are not perfect, but these players want to be perfect every play. They are unrelenting in their preparation, both on and off the field. We have 28 players on our team and they all play a part in getting each other ready. The details of film with these guys is something I have never seen. 28 players and they will average over 50 hours of film a week as a team! Effort prepares them, and with a lot of hard work and some luck to go with it, it has been good so far. But as any coach will tell you, three weeks does not make a season.
What is your goal for the remainder of this season?
We know it gets tougher each week. This week we play Sedgwick County, and they are the perfect example of what anyone in the state would want a program to be. We want to get 1% better every single day. Most of all, we want to put in the work, take care of our attitude and our effort, and if we do that, then what is meant to be, will be meant to be.