Many people around Lakeland High School have heard the name Michael Schroeder. Schroeder is the head football coach at LHS, and he has been the varsity head coach for two years.
Schroeder has a very interesting lifestyle and lives it up to the best of his ability.
“Every day is a great day because you have been gifted the ability to live,” Schroeder said.
One way Schroeder lives life to the fullest is through football.
Football has always been a part of Schroeder’s life. He started playing at a young age and even attended Southern Utah to play college football. Not only did Schroeder play football, but he was also a phenomenal baseball player, as well.
Schroeder started coaching football in 1989 and became a head football coach in 1996. He coached at various schools in California before moving to southern Idaho, where he coached at Emmett for five years.
He then moved north to run the Coeur d’Alene hockey academy and later took on the head coaching job for the Hawks.
“Though I’ve been all over the place these last couple of years, I’m happy to be at Lakeland and coaching these men,” Schroeder said.
Though he feels very confident going into every game from a coaching standpoint, he still gets nervous, and the pregame butterflies.
“Though I have been coaching for a long time, I still feel like the little me before games,” Schroeder said.
The Hawks football team has their first playoff game of the year this year, and they are set to travel down to Twin Falls and play against the Bruins on Oct. 27. The Hawks are the underdogs going into the game, but Schroeder does not mind that. Schroeder is used to being the underdog in any circumstance.
“Going into a playoff game really put the emphasis on it’s really not what the coaches know or how they coach; it’s about the players and what they know and how they play,” Schroeder said.
Although football has always been in his life, Schroeder has various other things that he enjoys outside of football. He owns a boat and enjoys spending his free time on the water.
“Anytime I’m on the boat is a good time,” Schroeder said.
Schroeder’s upcoming plans are relatively simple. He plans on either retiring soon or continuing his coaching career. This is a decision he continues to ponder constantly.
Before Schroeder even started coaching football, he ran the hockey academy in Coeur d’Alene. Hockey was always something that Schroeder enjoyed watching and playing.
“Though I’ve always been a football type of guy, I still enjoy watching the game of hockey,” Schroeder said.
Being at Lakeland, Schroeder feels like coming to Lakeland was a fresh start. He believes the school has been supportive of his thoughts and ideas thus far.
“I feel like the school has taken me in gracefully and made me feel welcome,” Schroeder said.
One of Schroeder’s top priorities is to bring home a state title for the football team. Though he recently picked up the team, he holds this as a realistic goal as he thinks it can be achieved.