Karl Mecklenburg gives West Burlington-Notre Dame football team winning advice

Mike Schwenker could feel the West Burlington-Notre Dame high school football team's pain.

Schwenker, the father of Falcons' quarterback Caden Schwenker, watched helplessly as the Falcons struggled through 13 straight losses.

Enough is enough, he thought.

Mike Schwenker, who had met Karl Mecklenburg at a motivational speech several years ago, reached out to the former Denver Broncos defensive lineman for a little advice.

On Friday, he received a letter and video from Mecklenburg offering some advice and encouragement for the team.

After hearing Schwenker read the letter and watching an inspirational highlight video of Mecklenburg in his prime, West Burlington-Notre Dame went out and beat Mount Pleasant, 30-20, ending their 13-game losing streak.

It also was the first win in head coach Joe Bowman's career.

At long last, the monkey was off the Falcons' back, and they had Mike Schwenker and Mecklenburg to thank for their hand in inspiring them to rise above.

"It fired us up. The speech that Schwenker's dad gave us fired us up more than the letter," WB-ND senior fullback/linebacker Hayden Vandenberg said. "He told us that we need to play as a team. Wins will come. He does what he can to help us, even though he's not a coach. He likes to see us come together as one."

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"I think it's always neat when somebody who has played at that level and had the success that Karl Mecklenburg has had, the kids thought it was pretty cool," Bowman said. "Mister Schwenker goes around the community and a lot of businesses in the community sponsor meals for the kids. We have a meal for them before the game on Friday. Mister Schwenker always brings them in and sets it up for the kids. Before they ate he had a little presentation for them. We watched a video on Karl Mecklenburg and then he read what Karl had sent."

For Mecklenburg, a motivational speaker, it was a chance to reach out and help some kids that were in the same situation he found himself in throughout life. He just wanted to give them a little ray of hope, to let them know in life's all about the journey, not necessarily the destination.

"I got an email from Mike Schwenker telling me about the team and explaining they had a 13-game losing streak. He just asked me if I had any advice for the team," Mecklenburg said. "I thought, well, I'm a motivational speaker, I better have some advice to give them. I sent them a letter explaining what the sports mentality is, about how a group of people form a team and how that team can just continue to get better and better."

For Schwenker, it all started a few years ago when he heard Mecklenburg speak and bought his book, Heart of a Student Athlete: All-Pro Advice for Competitors and Their Families.

"A few years later I read a sports article that mentioned him, so I sent the article to Karl and he actually responded and thanked me for sending it to him," said Schwenker, who does some motivational speaking himself. "I went to college in Colorado Springs, and attended some Broncos games while Karl played, so even though I am a Packer fan, I watched the Broncos while I lived in Colorado. I admired how Karl played the game. So, several years ago, when I had the opportunity to go back to Colorado Springs to attend a conference at the Broadmoor where Karl was to be the keynote speaker, I went. I very much enjoyed his speech and visited with him afterward, and bought his book 'Heart of a Student Athlete' for my four kids to read who were in sports. I found Karl to be a very nice, down-to-earth guy."

Schwenker then offered up some heartfelt words of his own to the team.

"Feeling for what the boys and coaches are going through and doing some motivational speaking myself in the past, I decided to reach out to Karl last week to ask him if he would be willing to pen a note of encouragement to the coaches and boys. I explained they were 0-13 and I just felt they could all use a pick-me-up or boost." Schwenker said. "Karl, as he had been in the past, got back to me and said "sure" I can do that. So, when I got his words,  I simply copied and printed off what he said, added a photo of him to the top and I framed it and read it to the coaches and boys before their game with Mt. Pleasant last Friday night right after showing them Karl Mecklenburg's "greatest hits" from Youtube. The coaches and boys then went out and did the rest."

Schwenker dug a little deeper, delving into the history and the struggles Abraham Lincoln had before and during his presidency.

"They hadn't defeated Mount Pleasant in many years, were very depleted and even a bit down, and I just wanted to do something to try to help out," Schwenker said. "I also read the Abraham Lincoln piece (outlining the failures and disappointments Lincoln endured on his way to becoming President) and asked the boys and coaches to listen to how many times Lincoln failed or was defeated and told them that failure/defeat need never be permanent, as the bottom of the article attests."

It all hit home with the Falcons, who went out and played their best game since that 30-24 victory over Davis County on October 16, 2020.

"It was huge," Vandenberg said. "It's always good to get your first win in a long time, which we really needed it with these guys because it boosts your confidence and make you want to play more. A lot of kids were just droopy all around. After that win, we were back up. Our spirits got up."

"It felt good, but it felt because of them. It felt good for the guys. That's why I coach. That's why I'm here is for them. To see their hard work pay off, that's what makes me feel the best," Bowman said. "That was a huge win for us. That was a huge win for the program. It's just nice that these guys' hard work got rewarded. Three of our four games we've been right there in the fourth quarter with a chance to win it and we fatigued. We talk to them all the time about when you play 115 plays, you're going to be tired. It doesn't matter how much you condition throughout the week, you are going to be tired. At that point it becomes mental. Can I mentally push my body to get lined up correctly" Can I read the keys? Can I make the adjustment? Can I complete the assignment? Can I not be on the sidelines?"

As for Mecklenburg, it made his day when he learned the Falcons finally got to celebrate a victory.

"That's a great deal," Mecklenburg said. Football is really a simple game. You go out and block and tackle and do the things you've got to do. But it is so much of a mental game, especially when things are tough. I'm happy that West Burlington-Notre Dame was able to pull together as a team and get a win."

Matt Levins is a sports reporter for the USA Today Network in Burlington, Iowa, who has covered local sports for 32 years at The Hawk Eye. Reach him at mlevins@thehawkeye.com.

This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: West Burlington-Notre Dame uses advice to snap 13-game losing skid