According to Gretna High School Principal Theresa Huttmann rebuilding school culture begins with delivering joy among students, staff, and the community. Her devotion, along with other administrators in the district, led her to leadership coach Stephen Mackey.
Huttmann remembers her first experience listening to him was immediately inspiring.
“My first impression of him was sincerity,” she said. “A lot of speakers give these canned talks–it’s the same thing over and over. But he was different. He believed so much in what he was doing and the message he wanted kids to have. I was bought in immediately.”
Students felt a similar impact, and senior Kelsey Van Waart described her own reaction to encountering the energetic coach.
“My first impression of Coach Mackey was that he is a super passionate guy,” Van Waart said. “He truly and wholeheartedly believes in the message he is giving to these students and truly wants these lessons to be impactful for them.”
Gretna administrators first discovered Coach Mackey at a summer leadership summit–an introduction that later became a year-long partnership. With Superintendent Travis Lightle’s coordination, the district created an extensive plan that included student workshops, a parent seminar and a staff in-service day. According to the 2words.tv website, Mackey is “. . .has spent the last 20+ years helping athletes and coaches connect the dots between sports and the game of life.”
Students from Pleasanton, Gretna and Gretna East High Schools were selected to participate in the workshops. The handful of students was intentionally selected; not a collection of the usual student leaders, but of students with untapped potential.
“There are a lot of kids who we see as leaders, but they might be leading in the wrong direction,” Huttmann said. “They have influence, they have clout, but they’ve made choices that could have gone a different way. We wanted to give those kids an opportunity to grow.”
It was a process handled thoughtfully.
“These were not decisions we made lightly,” Huttmann said. “We really asked ourselves who would come back and do something with this.”
Out of Mackey’s many teachings, one lesson resonated most with Van Waart. She said his message stood apart from previous discussions.
“The most recent lesson about trust stood out to me the most,” Van Waart said. “I have attended many leadership conferences, and they have all provided me with their ‘what’ and ‘why’ of leadership, but never truly the ‘how’ behind their plans. This past lesson really expanded on the ‘how’ portion of the plan for me, which was very enlightening and helpful.”
With involvement in around seventeen extracurriculars, she said she sees Mackey’s lessons woven into every corner of her life.
“Leadership is a continuous and ever-evolving skill that is beneficial way beyond high school graduation,” Van Waart said.
Huttmann said Mackey’s guidance has reached beyond just student groups.
“I utilize the things he says in how I lead this building,” she said. “What I love is that he doesn’t just tell you what a leader should be–he tells you how to become that person. I don’t know how many people I’ve told about his ‘snooze-button’ lesson. If you want to improve, start the day without a lie.”
The district also hosted Mackey for a community event titled “What Kids Wish Adults Knew” earlier this semester. The attendance was limited, but the effects were unmistakable.
Huttmann said she wishes the theater had been filled with attendants.
“I think the parents who were there walked away with really good, actionable steps,” Huttmann said.
Van Waart presumes his lessons will ripple outward, regardless of the size of the audience.
“His seminars help instill leadership and powerful life lessons into the students involved,” Van Waart said. “These students can then pass these skills onto underclassmen and peers to be able to expand these leadership traits within and outside of our community.”
