Ann Leonard
Position: Swim Coach / Health and Physical Education Teacher
School: Marshfield High School
School District: Marshfield R-I School District
City, State: Marshfield, MO
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Ann Leonard was nominated by her superintendent, Mike Henry.
"Ann Leonard has been a "LifeChanger" for as long as I have known her. She began changing my life in 1984 when she was my swim coach. Through my school years, Coach Leonard continued having a positive impact on students at Ava Middle School through her physical education classes and coaching every sport. As time passed, I had the distinct honor of serving as Coach Leonard's principal at Ava Middle School. Her approach to education continued in that setting. It was in this setting that I began to recognize her leadership skills with her peers as well as her students," said Henry.
"As time passed, I was able to serve as assistant superintendent at Ava. At that time, Coach Leonard had become the elementary physical education teacher while she was also coaching junior high sports. During this time, Coach Leonard championed the Healthy Schools Healthy Communities grant for both the district and community. I was able to watch, firsthand, the positive impact she had by creating a healthier environment for our students. She was able to make changes in our school and community that had a lasting impact on all involved by encouraging a healthier lifestyle. Even though these changes could have been controversial or difficult, with Coach Leonard in charge, the transitions were seamless," said Henry.
Coach Leonard leads by example and with compassion. She is a natural leader who has found her calling in education. She has had a tremendously positive impact on countless lives throughout her career. Coach Leonard never gave up on her students. She is the educator who has students stopping in 10, 15, 20, or 30 years later to visit with her because she makes everyone around her feel like they are the most important person.
"Now that I am Superintendent of Marshfield, we have been lucky enough to have Coach Leonard serving in our district in an emergency status and coaching our high school swim teams. Her impact at this school district continues, just like she has been here her entire life. I have worked with some truly remarkable people and educators during my career, but I would be hard pressed to find one any better than Coach Leonard. Ann poured in countless hours into her career by pouring those hours into her students. She believed in her students, cared about her students, and truly loved students...Ann is the definition of a LifeChanger," said Henry.
Before we were coworkers, before we were dear friends, before I ever even knew her really, Ann Leonard made a deep and unforgettable impression on me as she taught and coached my daughter during her junior high years. Her compassion and care not only for my child but for all the students under her care was apparent in everything she did. One particular incident proved that she was a life changer to the nth degree in my daughter's life. My daughter came to school one day unknowingly with a strong odor of skunk on her clothing.
Ann had her keep her gym clothes on, took her school clothes to her house, had her husband wash them in a special soap and return them to school. Junior high is such a pivotal time for a young person. Ann saved my daughter an embarrassment that could have affected her for many years. The gratitude I felt toward Ann Leonard was immeasurable. But I knew it was something she would do for any of her students. She is absolutely one of the finest people I have ever known.
Ann Leonard is truly a life changer. She has an unselfish and generous demeanor that radiates compassion and caring for those around her. She is positive, kind and encourages others to become the best version of themselves. Personally, I know first hand the positive example she sets in her personal and professional life. She leads by example. We have worked together in the school and church setting. She has been a coach, classroom and religious education teacher to my children. I am blessed to call her my best friend.
Coach Leonard stepped in at Marshfield (after retiring) to serve an emergency status in the classroom. As the Athletics Director, I have had the privilege to have Ann as our Swim Coach of both the boys and girls swim teams at the high school. Her immediate impact at our school has been sensational and I have never seen her without a smile on her face. The aura she puts off to everyone she meets is positive and loving. Our student-athletes and her peers adore her. I have worked with some incredible coaches in my 31 years of education and athletics and feel Coach Leonard ranks amongst the best. The commitment she has to her students is not just impressive, it's heartwarming. She believes in her students and athletes, and they are all better for having her as their teacher/coach/mentor.
Over the 30 years in education, Ann has positively impacted so many students. She looks for ways to promote health and happiness for all students. When Ann sees a child's health need, she looks for ways to help, whether it be mental, social, or physical health. She promotes finding the fun in life by developing healthy lifestyles. She is not an accolade seeker; she is incredibly humble. I have known her to provide transportation, clothing, and food to any of her students in need. If she is unable to be of help, she utilizes her contacts and many resources to find assistance. She does so without any expectation of reciprocity. She does it from her big Irish heart.
Coach Leonard always smiling and encouraging those around her. She sets the example for coaching others, personally and professionally, while making it appear effortless. She made sports fun - winning or losing, and I credit her for my love of volleyball.
I first met Ann when I was a young volleyball referee at the age of 18. Even though the crowds were intimidating, Ann was so supportive of me and kept booking me for games. Her patience and kindness really bolstered my confidence in officiating games for the next 7 years.
Fast forward to my employment at Ava High School and being offered the High School Volleyball Assistant Coach position. Knowing that Ann was just a quick walk away was very comforting, and also knowing that my children were going to be students of hers was very exciting.
Ann has always been kind, compassionate, considerate, and honest. She is definitely one mentor that I look up to and value advice when she provides it.
Ann Leonard is a perfect nomination for this award, and any organization is made better for having her vested with them!
Coach Leonard's impact on the Ava community is truly immeasurable. As a middle schooler, I distinctly remember Coach Leonard encouraging me to pursue playing volleyball even though boys volleyball was not available in our area. She provided opportunities for students to excel and grow far beyond the walls of the school. Coach Leonard was also a solid role model for students to emulate. Her excitement for life and her commitment to excellence are two characteristics that I try to emulate in my current role as an educator. Coach Leonard, thank you for giving your best to make others achieve their best.
I have known Coach Leonard my whole life. First, as my middle school PE teacher, then coach. I then had the honor of getting to teach beside her while at Ava schools. My children have had the pleasure of also having her as a physical education teacher. She remembers every single special detail about you and your family. Ann makes you feel that you are the only person in the world as she talks to you. She truly has the heart only angels on Earth can have! She is just simply....the best!
I have known Ann and her family my whole life. We went to church together and were friends. She is an an amazing Christian woman.
Coach Leonard not only coached myself in the Ava school district, she also coached both my girls in volleyball. She inspires everyone she coaches to be a better player as well as a better, healthier person. She most definitely is a Life Changer to all she meets.
Coach Leonard is a great friend of mine. We’ve watched and cheered on as our kids grew up as close friends. We’ve been co-workers for several years. We retired the same year! We both are still working! Ann has always been my biggest cheerleader! She is way more athletic, she would tell me ,”just wear your tennis shoes”! She NEVER gives up on people and makes us all feel like her best friend. She is definitely deserving of this award. She’s the best.
Ann Leonard! She has been in my life for quite awhile now. She is not only a former coworker of mine but is also a God Mother to me. She has been very impactful throughout my life whether it was through my faith, my school days, and also throughout my career. I got to work closely beside her at Ava. She always looked for the best for our students and faculty. She was a wonderful mentor to work beside. I am very blessed and privileged to have had the opportunity to grow with her. She is truly deserving for this award.
Ann has impacted so many lives over the years, mine included! She was my coach in school and I had the pleasure of coaching along side her for several years. I have seen first hand the impact she has had on so many. A well deserved honor to a lady who puts others first, while loving and supporting them along the way!
Coach Leonard was my middle school PE teacher. I had a horrible experience in PE before her, so I dreaded that class every day. She was so encouraging and kind that I actually enjoyed going to PE. As an adult, she was my co-worker. She was still the same kind, encouraging person who had taught me in middle school. She is the gold standard of leadership, kindness, encouragement, and positivity. She is a champion for health and fitness, but more than that, she is a champion for people.
I have had the pleasure of having Ann as a coach/teacher and a friend for over twenty five years. She really is a life changer! She has always held every student to the highest standard and made them be the best they could be. She was still coaching after 30 years, just like she did when it was her first year. She is one of the good ones!
Ann Leonard was one of my high school coaches and later she became a coworker at Ava Schools. She also coached my children. She is a wonderful coach, teacher, and human being. I have seen her kindness and generosity firsthand. Sometimes she gives anonymously and blesses her students. She is well deserving of this award and a true gem. She is genuine and compassionate to her core. A rare find now days. I’m honored to know her as a friend.
Coach Leonard is a life changer and community builder. She serves with love and encouragement in all that she does. Modeling what it means to be a good neighbor, demonstrating compassion, and pursuing a thirst for excellence, Ann makes our world a better place. As a young mother, I lived across the street from this amazing role-model. Later teaching beside her, and now continuing to serve our community, I cannot think of a better example of a woman who embodies what it means to be a life-changer. She’s served generations of young athletes and families, and she continues to impact those around them to compete with honor and integrity!
Coach Leonard was my middle school PE teacher. I had a horrible experience in PE before her, so I dreaded that class every day. She was so encouraging and kind that I actually enjoyed going to PE. As an adult, she was my co-worker. She was still the same kind, encouraging person who had taught me in middle school. She is the gold standard of leadership, kindness, encouragement, and positivity. She is a champion for health and fitness, but more than that, she is a champion for people.
Coach Leonard is so deserving of this! She was my very first volleyball coach and will forever hold a special place in my heart! I do not believe she knows how much of an impact she had during my days at Ava and even now! Establishing confidence in young woman is so very hard to do in middle school and she did it with so much grace and kindness! She is still a woman I look up to today! Thank you so much for believing in this awkward, little girl, Coach Leonard!
She was my middle school P.E. teacher and she showed passion and care with every student. She taught us all to be kind and spread kindness and that has been a lesson that has became apart of my life. She made everyone the best that they could be and made sure they were treated fairly. She impacted my life and many others and I will always remember her as someone who changed my life
To know Ann is to love Ann! She was my middle school and high school coach, then my coworker and now my forever friend! She has impacted so many people over the years and will continue to impact everyone she meets!
This woman is beyond amazing on every level. She is a role model to so many, myself included. No one is more deserving of this award.
Ann is such an inspiration! I never had her for a teacher, but as a coworker I could ask for no one better! She is a true person showing such compassion for everyone she meets.
Ann is well deserving of this.
Ann is incredible. She is dedicated professional who lives and leads by example. Her genuine care and encouragement of everyone in her life makes her a life changer. She is an everyday super hero.
Ann is the definition of this word. I have had so many amazing opportunities to work alongside Ann. She taught me health as a 5th grader and I knew after one day in the classroom with her that I was trying out for her sport in 7th grade. She coached me through 7th and 8th grade and when I moved, she introduced me to my new coach as being “one of the most fun girls she’s ever had the pleasure of coaching” and that stuck with me. I walked into a new season at a new school with confidence. Fast forward a few years and I’m working alongside Ann as an assistant coach. I always knew she was a good person with a great heart- but I got to see it in a whole new light. The way she coaches with passion and cares for her girls was inspiring to me. She ALWAYS goes above and beyond to do what’s best for kids. I call her”Saint Ann” because in my mind, she does no wrong. She changed my life and continues to change it with her support and her friendship. The impact she has had on me is profound but doesn’t even scratch the surface of the magnitude of her reach. She’s changed the lives of so many in a positive way. There’s no one who deserves this honor more than Ann.
I have known Ann Leonard the majority of my life. First she was a teacher of mine in middle school, then I was fortunate enough to serve alongside her in the elementary as her principal. Coach Leonard’s passion for working with children as well as lifetime fitness benefited hundreds of people whom she loyally served during her teaching career. Ann attacked each day with enthusiasm and a smile. While Ann is known for being a champion of health and fitness, what I believe makes her standout is the impact she has on people. I will never forget she made me feel as a student and I feel absolutely blessed that she was able to work with my own children. I truly believe our community is a better place due to Ann Leonard. You will not find a more deserving recipient of the life changer award. She pushed me to be better each day and I am grateful for it.
Congratulations
Ann, a well deserved honor for you!
Words can not express how deserving coach Leonard is of this award! Not only is she a lights out coach, she is a very caring individually who is heavily involved in the community. The Leonard family have always looked after me as one of their own. Ann is someone I am lucky to call a mentor, and has 100% helped change/mold my life!
John Wooden once said “A good coach can change a game. A great coach can change a life.” I often think this of Coach Leonard.
Coach Leonard, to me, is very deserving of this award. She was a great coach for myself in junior high. Looking back on that time, she exemplified leadership by treating each and every kid with respect. 25 years later, I consider her as a friend.
Coach Leonard not only has impacted every student, teacher, administrator, para, janitor in the Ava school district but also shaped me and my brother (her sons) into the people we are today! We are both educators and coaches and that is because of our mom! I hope to be half the teacher, coach, and friend she is to people. You cannot go anywhere is southwest Missouri without my mother being stopped for at least 20 min from someone she has taught, coached or has impacted in some way! She is the definition of this award.
I had the pleasure of meeting Ann in college. Even at that time she had a kind gentle way about her and a servants heart. I can only imagine how blessed her students have felt over her career. She has always been a champion of a healthy life and body. Congratulations Ann for being nominated for such a prestigious award, and God Bless you for impacting so many.
Moving into a new school district during your middle school years can be a scary thing for young ladies! But Coach Leonard was there for my sisters and I from the beginning!! She was super kind and patient helping us navigate the the next couple of years! She was/is a great coach always wanting the best out of her players! But most importantly she wants the kids to be great young adults!!
She will always be “Coach” to us!!
Ann,
Thank you so much for your selflessness, affectionate smile, and your years dedicated to faith, family, and education. Congratulations on the nomination! We look forward to you bringing the trophy home.
There is no one more deserving of this award than Ann Leonard! She is such a caring and positive person. It is evident in her words and actions the love she carries for the people she knows and has yet to meet. Ann has the unique ability to listen in a way that you know you are being heard. She is a life changer and I am blessed to call her friend.
Ann is an amazing person who is always willing to help those in need. Her positivity is contagious and she connects with all those around her. She is a LifeChanger in all aspects of life and is more than deserving of this award.
Ann Leonard is the definition of life changing. She leaves a lasting impact on everyone she comes in contact with. From coaching a multitude of sports (boys and girls), to teaching life lasting physical health to all age levels Ann Leonard has not only changed her students’ lives, but everyone in her communities’ lives for the better. She runs youth programs, has helped set up foundations to supply bikes and other outdoor equipment for students in need, all while being a wonderful wife, mom, and grandmother. For 34 years now “Coach Leonard” has made her classroom a place students WANT to be everyday. There is not a more deserving person to receive this award than my mom, Ann Leonard.
I can’t think of a more deserving person to be nominated for this LifeChanger Award. Ann has had an impact on so many lives throughout the years as a teacher, coach, peer and friend. She is the most patient and giving person I have ever met. Her positive attitude is contagious to those she comes in contact. Ann is the epitome of what a LifeChanger should be.
Having Coach Leonard as a coach developed my love for volleyball. While playing middle school sports I found an outstanding coach who I admired and loved! Years later as I am in my teaching career, I had the opportunity to work and coach with Ann. She is an extraordinary coach and co-worker, but nothing compares to her as a friend!
When walking thru Ann’s hometown it was so inspiring to see the multitude of people who stopped to talk to her. She impacted so many, in such a positive way. Compassion and caring describes her perfectly. Her students and family know how she feels about them, and she makes everyone feel like they are the most important person at that moment. Who doesn’t want to be like Ann Leonard? Ann is a LifeChanger and we are so blessed to be a small part of her life. Thanks Ann for dedicating your life to others and for loving so many.
Love you Aunt ann. You deserve this
Ann Leonard is such an exceptional person. Ann has the ability and willingness to support the most vulnerable as well as challenging people to make the most out of their gifts. Ann brightens up a room with her positive “can do” attitude and she is able to relate with adults and children of all ages. Ann simply makes the world a better place and is so very deserving of this award. Thanks Ann for all you have done and please continue making a positive difference in all the lives you come in contact. I have no doubt you will!
Ann is a servant leader - she is always making sure others’ needs are met first. An award to the school in honor of her work is wonderful reflection of how she lives her life.
So proud of you!! You surely deserve this award. I see all the time the impact you have on everyone’s life! Mine included. Love you!!
Ann touches everyone she meets! One of the most intentional and kind people the world has to offer!
Ann is one of those people that see the good in all people. She has a gift of teaching - whether it’s teaching nieces, nephews or grandchildren how to bike, swim, play a sport or just to be a kind human being. She makes a difference in her family, job and community. She goes way beyond the call of duty in everything she does. She is very deserving of this award.
Some call her Coach Leonard, I call her Aunt Ann. She has been a solid role model for me my entire life. Many times I think what would Aunt Ann do or what would Aunt Ann say. I strive to be more like her! She is the rock of our family and always puts others first, she is the most selfless person I know. She is indeed a “lifechanger”
