On the morning of July 10th, the United States Marine Corps held a Leadership Academy Football workout at Nature Coast Technical High School in Brooksville. The USMC Sports and Leadership Academy holds 47 camps in 6 sports across the United States, but this camp was special and held solely for the NCT football program.
The workout was arranged with the efforts of Nature Coast Tech Head Football Coach Rob Kazmier and his fellow Nature Coast Tech class of 2005 alumnus Captain Francois Pambianchi. Captain Pambianchi is the Executive Officer of Recruiting Station Tampa and now leads the USMC’s recruiting efforts for the entire Tampa Bay Area. The morning started off with an inspirational speech by Captain Pambianchi in the NCT weight-room. The team then reported to the practice field where Staff Sergeant Tagliabue put them through a dynamic warm-up session. Team leaders were then chosen before the team was broken up into groups for a fast-paced circuit workout. Following that, the team was split for more in-depth USMC-led leadership discussions. The action wrapped up with some spirited competition where winners received prizes.
Coach Kazmier was excited to bring a successful alumnus back around the football program they both had a hand in laying the groundwork for back in 2003. “This is a really great example of an NCT product going out and having profound success in the real world and then coming home to pass along some knowledge and lessons to a younger generation. We need more of this. When I accepted this position, one of my goals was to get our alumni base involved and to surround our student-athletes with positive influences. Our school is now 20 years old. Our alumni base is still very young overall, but we have so many Sharks out there doing big things.”
Captain Pambianchi and Staff Sergeant Tagliabue (Marine Corps recruiter for the school) attended the event and worked with the athletes during the workout and leadership discussions. Captain Pambianchi commented “Once a Shark, always a Shark! It was an honor to be a part of the Recruiting Station Tampa’s Leadership Football Camp at Nature Coast Tech. The incorporation of Marine ethos and values in this camp truly exemplifies our commitment to developing leadership skills, through example, in the next generation. It was inspiring to see the athletes embrace the principles of teamwork, consistent discipline, and extreme ownership. We are proud to contribute to the success of Hernando County schools and pass on our experiences to shape the future leaders of our community.”
