Area coach gets Assistant Coach of the Year award
By Matt Hopper
Who says families that bump, bruise and hurt one another don’t get along? Mike Kamrath knows the advantages to such a family. He’s been coaching one in Washburn for the past 11 years. Mike Kamrath’s accomplishments as Washburn High School’s assistant football coach will finally be formally recognized late this July. Kamrath was awarded the 2008 fall season award for Assistant Coach of the Year by the North Dakota High School Coaches Association. He’s been a coach for 18 years in both track and football. "I really enjoy football, that’s probably my favorite sport," said Kamrath. "Football is more competitive, it’s more strategic. With track if you have a good athlete, you have a good athlete. In football if you have a good athlete you still have to work him in correctly, there’s strategy there." Kamrath went to NDSU and taught there for a few years before teaching Agricultural Education at Washburn High school, where he currently works. He enjoyed his early coaching stints out of town before returning to Washburn. Kamrath coached track for a few years and became head coach until an assistant coaching position for football opened up. "A spot opened up and I thought I’d move in and try it, now that’s been 10 years ago," laughed Kamrath. Kamrath has enjoyed the different challenges that coincide with coaching high school football.
