Chris Sohm
Welcome to the digital home of Chris Sohm, a seasoned coach and educator with over two decades of experience in high school athletics and social studies. This platform highlights Chris’s dedication to shaping young minds and fostering teamwork through his roles as a coach, teacher, and mentor. Beyond his professional responsibilities, Christopher Sohm of Kansas is committed to strengthening the bonds within communities and helping students grow both on and off the field. With his extensive experience and passion for education and athletics, Christopher Sohm provides valuable insights and leadership for those looking to excel in sports, academics, and personal development.
About Chris Sohm
Hailing from Kansas, Chris Sohm is a seasoned coach and social studies teacher with over 20 years of experience in high school athletics. Throughout his career, he has guided basketball and football teams in various small-town schools, including La Crosse, Satanta, Canton-Galva, and Spearville. Beginning as an assistant coach, Christopher Sohm of Kansas quickly established a reputation for strong leadership and a deep commitment to building team unity and community support. Growing up in Otis-Bison, Christopher Sohm was a standout high school athlete, playing quarterback in football and guard in basketball. His small-town roots have greatly shaped his coaching style, enabling him to connect with both students and the broader community. After high school, he attended Fort Hays State University, where he honed the skills that would define his successful career as a coach and educator. Christopher Sohm continues to be a positive influence both on and off the field, encouraging his students and athletes to achieve their best.
Building Leadership in Young Athletes: Lessons from the Field and the Classroom
Leadership is a skill that extends far beyond the playing field or the classroom. It is an essential quality that can shape a student’s future success, both in their personal and professional lives. For high school students, particularly those involved in sports, the lessons of leadership learned in their formative years can create a solid foundation for the rest of their lives. Coaches and teachers play a crucial role in nurturing these qualities. As someone who wears both hats, a high school sports coach and social studies teacher, I’ve seen firsthand how the intersection of academics and athletics can foster leadership in young people. Christopher Sohm of Kansas explores the strategies and experiences that shape leadership development, combining lessons from the classroom with the unique demands of competitive sports.
The Importance of Leadership in Adolescence
Adolescence is a critical time for leadership development. During these years, students are forming their identities, discovering their strengths, and exploring their potential. Chris Sohm understands that in both the classroom and on the field, they are faced with opportunities to take initiative, work within a team, and make decisions that impact themselves and those around them. For young athletes, these opportunities can be magnified, as they navigate the complexities of competition, performance pressure, and the need for unity in their teams.
Leadership is not just about making decisions for others—it’s about setting a positive example, managing emotions, building relationships, and cultivating a growth mindset. Christopher Sohm of Kansas explains that these are all qualities that students need to develop to be successful in life, and both sports and academics offer unique environments to practice and refine these skills.
Leadership Lessons from the Field
In the context of high school sports, leadership development occurs naturally through the challenges and dynamics of team play. As a coach, Christopher Sohm of Kansas sees daily how the pressures of competition and collaboration push students to step up as leaders.
- Teamwork and Communication
One of the most important lessons athletes learn is the value of teamwork. In sports like basketball or football, success is not determined by the talent of one individual, but by the collective effort of the entire team. Leadership in this context often involves effective communication—whether it’s calling plays, giving instructions, or simply offering encouragement during a tough game. Chris Sohm explains that these moments teach athletes that leaders are not just the loudest voices but the ones who can motivate, unite, and support their teammates.
Learning to communicate clearly and effectively under pressure is a skill that young athletes take with them off the field, whether it’s leading a group project in school or collaborating with peers in their future careers.
- Resilience and Grit
Sports inherently demand resilience. The highs of victory are often paired with the lows of defeat, and leaders in athletics must learn to navigate both. The ability to bounce back from failure, adapt to challenges, and keep pushing forward is central to success, not just in sports but in life. As a coach, I emphasize to my players that resilience is key to leadership. Great leaders aren’t immune to failure; they learn from it, grow stronger, and set an example for others to follow.
Teaching resilience also means encouraging athletes to be patient with themselves and others, to recognize that progress takes time, and that setbacks are a part of the journey. It’s a lesson they can apply to both their academic pursuits and personal growth.
- Accountability and Integrity
Athletes are often placed in positions of responsibility, whether as team captains or as role models for younger players. These roles come with a level of accountability that requires young leaders to act with integrity—on and off the field. They must learn to take ownership of their actions, admit mistakes, and demonstrate good sportsmanship.
As a coach, it’s crucial to foster an environment where accountability is celebrated and where athletes understand that leadership is about more than just winning. It’s about how they handle themselves when the stakes are high, how they treat their teammates, and how they respond when things don’t go their way.
Leadership Lessons from the Classroom
While the playing field provides a direct and sometimes intense environment for leadership development, the classroom offers a more reflective space where students can develop their critical thinking and decision-making abilities. As a social studies teacher, Christopher Sohm of Kansas finds that many of the leadership lessons learned on the field are reinforced through academic instruction.
- Critical Thinking and Decision-Making
In the classroom, students are encouraged to think critically about historical events, ethical dilemmas, and societal issues. Chris Sohm understands that this kind of intellectual leadership is just as important as the physical leadership required in sports. Through discussions, debates, and group projects, students learn to evaluate different perspectives, consider the impact of their decisions, and lead discussions that engage and inform their peers.
For student-athletes, this overlap between classroom and fieldwork is especially powerful. The ability to think strategically, both in academics and athletics, allows them to approach leadership with a well-rounded mindset, considering both immediate and long-term consequences.
- Empathy and Emotional Intelligence
Social studies also offers an opportunity for students to develop empathy and emotional intelligence, essential traits for effective leadership. By studying history, culture, and government, students gain insight into the experiences of others and learn to navigate diverse opinions and backgrounds. Leaders, both in the classroom and on the field, need to understand and relate to the people they’re leading, and social studies helps build this emotional awareness.
- Responsibility to the Community
Leadership extends beyond individual success—it involves a commitment to the well-being of the community. In my classroom, we often explore how leaders in history have made decisions that impacted entire nations or societies. Chris Sohm understands that this broader perspective helps students understand that their leadership roles, whether in sports or academics, come with a responsibility to uplift those around them.
On the field, this might mean stepping up to mentor younger teammates or ensuring that everyone feels included in the team’s success. In the classroom, it’s about fostering a learning environment where collaboration and mutual respect are valued.
The intersection of sports and academics provides a rich environment for developing leadership in young athletes. Christopher Sohm of Kansas emphasizes that by encouraging teamwork, resilience, accountability, and critical thinking, coaches and teachers can help students build leadership qualities that will serve them well in all areas of life. Whether on the field or in the classroom, young leaders learn to navigate challenges, communicate effectively, and inspire others—all while preparing for future roles as confident, compassionate, and capable adults. Through a combined effort in both arenas, we can cultivate leaders who not only succeed individually but also contribute positively to their teams, schools, and communities.
Thank you for visiting the online portfolio of Chris Sohm, a dedicated coach and educator with a career spanning over two decades in high school athletics and social studies instruction. With a wealth of experience in coaching, mentoring, and community leadership, Christopher has made a lasting impact on both students and athletes seeking growth and development. In addition to his work in education and sports, Christopher Sohm of Kansas is actively involved in supporting his community through team-building and youth mentorship. His approach combines professional expertise with a strong commitment to fostering personal and community growth, benefiting students, athletes, and the broader community.