Ryan Krull – Carmichaels High School

“Coaching Boys Into Men helps young boys figure out how to make more adult choices. The name says it all.”

Ryan Krull, head coach of the Carmichaels Mighty Mikes football team for the past five seasons, says the decision to implement the Coaching Boys Into Men (CBIM) program was a no-brainer. “There’s so much negativity in this crazy world we live in,” according to Ryan. “If something comes along that promotes better behavior in our young people, we’re going to do it.”

The team’s assistant coaches and local school officials were immediately on board after Ryan told them about CBIM. “I gave them an overview of what we’d be talking about,” Ryan recalls. “The topics are appropriate and honest. The program deals with legitimate issues, things these kids want to talk about.” Ryan realized that these important conversations don’t normally happen at school or at home as teachers are focused on curriculum content and parents aren’t always comfortable talking to their sons about such sensitive matters.

Ryan’s athletes took the CBIM discussions seriously when they saw how important the issues were to Ryan and his coaches. Some team members were shy at first, but “everyone was attentive. Everyone wants to know about this.” The kids eventually opened up because CBIM is “a gateway that says it’s okay to talk about things like how guys behave toward girls, how to use social media appropriately and how to treat other people with respect.” Teenagers often can’t imagine the adverse implications of their behavior. “It helps to be honest with them about what the real world is like.”

Ryan has noticed a difference in the team’s interactions and overall tone as a group after just one season. Many of his players are multi-sport athletes, and Ryan believes that their changed attitudes will positively influence their other teams, too. Having observed no downside to implementing CBIM, Ryan urges that “Anyone who’s thinking about using it in their athletic program should just do it.”