This is How It Works: A Masterclass in Community

How do you make a real difference in a community? Sometimes, it starts with one person opening a door, and others walking through it with a plan to go all-in. That’s exactly what’s happening at Middletown High School, where the entire community, from business owners to athletes, is uniting around a new mission.

It all started when Aaron Crunkleton, a Middletown resident and owner-operator of two Chick-fil-A restaurants, reached out to Lead ‘Em Up. He believed so strongly in the Lead ‘Em Up program’s mission that he offered to sponsor it for his local school. Aaron got the ball rolling, but what happened next truly set this story apart.

The athletic director, Karin Bauer, who knew about the Lead ‘Em Up program from a previous job, saw the potential and decided to take it to a whole new level.

A Plan to Go All-In

Over the next few months, Karin worked tirelessly to make sure Chick-fil-A’s gift was maximized. She put together a series of events to get everyone on the same page and fully invested in the program.

First, she organized a special training for a group of student leaders, giving them a chance to experience the program firsthand and get excited. Then, she held a special coaching event, complete with Chick-fil-A catering, so coaches could learn about the Lead ‘Em Up program, ask questions, and start planning.

She didn’t stop there. Karin also engaged the school’s booster club to make sure they knew about the new initiative, so they could support teams that wanted to do more. Meanwhile, we activated one of our top trainers, Dave Murray, to become “Mr. Middletown,” the go-to guy for all their training sessions.

From Campus Day to Community Vibe

As the fall sports season began, Chick-fil-A sponsored a huge training day for all the teams. Athletes and coaches signed up for 60-minute workshops to get a taste of Lead ‘Em Up. The interest was so high, they couldn’t fit all the teams in one day, so Karin added a second one!

The energy was incredible. The athletes were fully engaged, and coaches saw the value of bringing leadership development to their teams. Soon, the momentum spread like wildfire. Teams all over the school started signing up for more sessions. In one week alone, Coach Dave hosted eight sessions with different teams.

This momentum isn’t just felt in the gym or on the field; it’s being felt all over the community. Recently, Coach Dave attended a varsity football game and was blown away by the Lead ‘Em Up energy in the stadium. Student-athletes yelled out, “Hey, that’s the Lead ‘Em Up guy!” as he walked by. Parents stopped him to share how much they appreciated Lead ‘Em Up and how their kids had told them all about the “Green Team.” A handful of coaches connected with Dave to plan out the rest of their fall seasons and even start looking ahead to winter and spring.

In less than 60 days, incredible momentum has been generated around the school. It’s a powerful reminder that if you want to build something special, you have to get everyone all-in on building character and leadership.

Shout-out to the entire Middletown community: people like Aaron at Chick-fil-A, athletic directors like Karin, coaches who are all-in, and student-athletes who are excited about getting better.

Keep your eye on the Middletown Knights. They are on the rise.