Congratulations, Ryan Shilling.

Great coaching deserves to be recognized.

After 36 years of teaching, 87 seasons of coaching, and a lifetime spent around high school athletics, I’ve seen firsthand just how much time, energy, sacrifice, and heart coaches give to their athletes and programs.

Coaching has never been just about wins and losses. It’s about teaching discipline, building confidence, developing character, holding young people accountable, and helping prepare them to become successful adults.

That’s why I’m excited to begin recognizing a Section 1 Coach of the Week. Each week, I’ll honor a deserving male or female coach from any sport in Section 1 who is making a difference — whether it’s through an outstanding accomplishment, leadership, sportsmanship, dedication to their athletes, or simply going above and beyond.

This is my way of giving back to the sports community that has given me so much over the past 36 years. There are so many hardworking coaches throughout Section 1 who rarely get the recognition they deserve. I want to help change that — one coach at a time.

Building Lakeland Football

This is my 11th year coaching football. I began my coaching career as an assistant freshman football coach at Carmel High School before spending five years as an assistant football coach at Lakeland High School under Mike Meadows. This is now my fifth year as the head football coach at Lakeland.

My best season as a head football coach came in 2023, when we finished 6-4 in Class B and advanced to the semifinals before losing to Pleasantville. My overall record as a head coach is 19-23. This past week was a particularly special one for our program, as we defeated Yorktown, 35-34 in overtime. It was Lakeland’s first football victory over Yorktown since 2009, making it a win that our players, coaches, alumni, and community will remember for a long time.

More importantly, the way our team responded throughout the game — especially when faced with adversity — was a reflection of the culture we are working to build.

During my ten years at Lakeland, I have also been fortunate to be involved in several different athletic programs. I have coached varsity baseball and basketball, JV softball, and varsity golf, and I currently serve as an assistant varsity basketball coach. I have also spent the past nine years as a Social Studies teacher at Lakeland High School, teaching United States History, Politics, and Economics. Being both a teacher and a coach has reinforced for me that the most important part of what we do is the impact we have on young people.

I coach because I believe coaches have a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact on their players’ lives. Our team acronym, SWARM, represents the qualities we want our players to develop both as teammates and as future members of society: Selfless, Winning Edge, Accountable, Resilient, and Motivated. Those values mean more to us than what happens on a game night.

I want our players to have an experience they will look back on with pride years from now — one filled with great memories, meaningful relationships, the excitement of winning, the lessons that come with losing, and the resilience that comes from overcoming adversity. The Yorktown game was a perfect example of that. Our players faced plenty of adversity, but they continued to believe in each other, stayed together, and found a way to finish the job. Those are the moments that make coaching so rewarding.

I am extremely motivated to continue building Lakeland football into a program that can consistently compete at the highest level. I want our players to believe that they can set a new standard for what is possible here while respecting and building upon the work of the coaches and players who came before us. My goal is to help make Lakeland a perennial contender and, ultimately, compete for league and section championships. But just as importantly, I want to build a culture that our players, alumni, school, and community can be proud of for generations.

My own experiences as a player have had a major influence on the coach I have become. I played high school football at Carmel High School under Todd Cayea and later played college football at Union College under John Audino. My father, Bob Shilling, was a high school varsity baseball coach for 26 years, and watching the impact he had on his players has also had a tremendous influence on my approach to coaching. Those experiences have shaped the kind of coach I strive to be and the kind of experience I want to provide for every player who comes through our program.

Facebook: Vin Savastano   |   X: @Vinsav31   |   Instagram: @coachsav2025