UNION BRIDGE, Md. — It's a cool fall morning, there's dew on the ground of the football field at Francis Scott Key High School. And coach David Cunningham is right where he loves to be, tossing a football around with his student athletes.
"I like to think I'm the hip head coach," he said with a laugh.
Cunningham is 34 years old and took on the job as head coach when he was 31. Before that, he was an assistant coach with the team while also working as the Time Out coordinator at the school. He says he's a disciplinarian of sorts but always tries to find a way to connect to the students who end up in his room.
"It's a great job, it allows me to talk to the kids, get to know them on a different level and share my past experiences with them to help them out."
He equally loves his job as the football coach. His players don't think much about his age. To them, it's important that they can talk to him and be heard.
"Especially during games," said senior Craig Hardsock, a center on the team. "If plays aren’t working, we can go over to him and we’re like, this play is going to work, and the next drive we get a 40 yard run."
"Its not just him coaching, its also us and doing it together," said Payton Rhodes, a senior and wide receiver.
Winning is a state of mind for Cunningham and his team, as it is for all sports teams, and it extends beyond wins on the field.
"The main thing I teach these kids is win everyday. That starts when you wake up in the morning, with a positive mindset, positive things are going to happen," he said.
And to help his students achieve that positive mindset, Cunningham makes himself available to them when they need a friendly ear.
"I go into his room every morning, I love to just talk to him about life, not just football," said Hardsock. "Football is after school, we just talk about life during school and helping with school work."
Cunningham is living out his passion as a football coach, and while a winning record is always nice, he's more focused on seeing his students succeed in every aspect of their life.
"Seeing them walk across the stage when they graduate, seeing them become parents, get married, go to college. Seeing them win in life, that’s the best feeling ever."
