Over the past 12 years, Career Academy South Bend’s (CASB) sports program has transformed from a modest initiative with just 75 middle and high school athletes to a vibrant community of nearly 200 participants. Despite small-school challenges, the athletic program continues to create positive experiences and memories for students through sports with an emphasis on inclusion and growth.
“All of our coaches structure our preseason in a way that motivates students and sets them up for success, going toward tryouts,” said High School Volleyball Coach Jacinda Unger. “It doesn’t matter if a student is experienced or not. When a student comes in, the foundation is being laid. Our goals are finding consistency and encouraging new athletes to come in. It also allows our experienced players to lead as role models.”
At the heart of CASB’s athletics is a focus on personal growth. Coaches prioritize mini victories — small achievements that contribute to long-term success – over a narrow definition of winning. The program currently offers seven varsity sports: volleyball and cross country in the fall and boys and girls track, baseball, and softball in the spring. Football is offered through a partnership with the Osceola Grace High School Eagles.
“Every coach is encouraging everybody to play other sports,” said High School Track Coach Cameron Mester. “We want our athletes playing year-round. We tend to work together, and a lot of my coaching is based on things that are going to help them in these other sports. I try to do things specifically based on what their goals are and to help them in whatever their main sport is.”
The success of the program is also attributed to its dedicated coaching staff, all of whom possess collegiate experience. These coaches work diligently to build relationships, starting with middle school student-athletes, and help them transition to one or more sports at the high school level. The coaches also tackle a large barrier to athletics: retaining athletes from middle school to high school and onward to college.
“I think we all agree that we were happy to take positions here as coaches because we wanted to be teachers,” said High School Varsity Boys Basketball Coach Leon Johnson. “We knew when we got the job we were not to get credit for those athletes who were ready to go. We were going to have to be teachers and trainers going forward. We were tasked with changing their culture. We don’t allow foolery. There are rules, regulations and life-building skills being taught at every level. We found that we have good kids who want to learn.”
The Athlete Leadership Camp (ALC) is a cornerstone of the program, designed to foster mental and physical well-being, teamwork, and leadership skills. In the summer, participants share experiences that champion personal growth, time management, academic motivation, and leadership abilities. The program is proud to include special accommodations for student-athletes with disabilities, aiming to foster positive memories and lifelong skills.
“Our ALC is about three or four days here at the school,” said Volleyball, Track, and Cheer Junior Zion Taylor. “All the athletes come together, and we do workouts and focus on our mentality, not just on the physical. They have confidence and pay attention to what they can and can’t control in their minds. How we reply and act towards stuff out of our control has caused a noticeable shift in our athletics. I have noticed a shift in myself and my confidence on the court.”
“ALC definitely shapes ourselves mentally and physically,” said Track, Baseball and Basketball Senior Keemon Chambliss. “We have friendly competition that allows us to dabble in each and every sport with a combination of all of them. Getting pointers helped open our minds to trying other sports aside from our main sport. For me, it opened my eyes to baseball. The guest speakers also opened our eyes to us being both athletes and students. Our athletics programs strive for us to succeed in and after high school.”
A key component of the program is the three-strike policy, which emphasizes the importance of academic performance, behavior, and attendance. The first policy is that students should be passing six or more classes. If not, the coaches must provide time outside of practice for them to catch up. The second policy is that students are required to attend the entire school day in order to attend their practice or game. The third policy is that suspension is documented and accounted for when reviewing a student’s overall behavior.
“As an athlete at CASB, I learned the value of my academic performance, behavior, and attendance through our three-strike policy,” said Cross Country and Track and Field Junior Krysta Holman. “It tells students that you should have the right attitude throughout the entire time. As an athlete, I think sports developed my drive to push past the discomfort and to get to the finish line. This finish line is not just for sports, but for school, homework, and getting my chores done. Additionally, I think sports have helped me showcase what it is like to put your all into a team. It helps us develop our leadership, teamwork, and maturity.”
Athletes undergo biweekly grade checks to ensure academic standards are met. For CASB success in sports goes hand-in-hand with success in the classroom.
“Every two weeks, the athletic department does an official grade check to make sure we are keeping the student first and the athlete second,” said Track and Field Senior Jace Woods. “I have standards for my grades. If I am below a D, my coach will remind me to keep on top of my work, make sure that I am paying attention in school, and that I ask questions. If I have any questions, I know to ask my coaches and teammates for help.”
CASB fulfilled a three-year probationary period before the school could officially participate in joining as an Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) school. Now in its seventh year with IHSAA, Athletic Director Geriann Druyos serves in the presidential role as head of the Hoosier Plains Conference. The conference’s purpose is to improve scheduling challenges and facilitate competition with other schools, allowing for a structured number of games each year. CASB being part of the conference enables student-athletes to earn conference awards with 26 awards given last year across seven varsity sports.
“We worked together to join up with other schools,” said Druyos. “As we have grown, getting games on the schedule has been easier because people now want to come to us to play us.”
In addition to its internal programs, CASB collaborates with local organizations to support its athletes. The City of South Bend Venues Parks & Arts (SBVPA) rents its baseball and softball fields, to ensure quality spaces for the academy’s teams. The Underground Basketball League (UB League) is a non-profit initiative that offers a space for young adults (former students) to stay active and engaged. With no fees for layers, the program emphasizes community well-being and mental health.
“The future is kind of tough for us,” said Druyos. “We don't always know what we have or what our resources are, but what makes our athletic program so unique is that we have qualified coaching staff. Five out of the seven have played sports at that collegiate level. We have students who have earned scholarships to college, both academic and athletic. There is a huge myth out there that you cannot get recruited if you are at a small school, but you can and we do.”
For more information on Career Academy South Bend, please visit careeracademysb.com.