Kyle Kettinger embodies the power of leadership rooted in service, resilience, and purpose. An active-duty U.S. Army Major, Kyle brings more than 20 years of coaching experience to the sidelines, currently serving as a middle school head football coach and baseball coach at Rocky Mountain Classical Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Shaped by his own upbringing—where sports and strong mentors provided life-changing structure and guidance—Kyle now uses athletics as a vehicle to develop character, discipline, and confidence in young athletes. His military experience has further refined his coaching philosophy, blending high standards, empathy, and calm leadership in high-pressure moments. Through Soldiers To Sidelines, Kyle has found renewed community and mission, channeling his passion for coaching into continued service beyond the uniform. His unwavering commitment to mentoring the next generation makes him a deserving Soldier Coach of the Month for January 2026. Read the interview below to learn more about Coach Kettinger and his coaching journey.
STS: Tell your story about how and why you got into coaching. Discuss how coaching has impacted you as a person.
Coach Kettinger: Athletics have been a constant in my life, serving as much more than just a pastime. Raised in a single-parent household within a community heavily impacted by systemic challenges, sports provided the critical structure I needed to navigate a difficult environment. I was fortunate to be guided by coaches who served as essential father figures, offering the mentorship and discipline that kept me on the right path.
Seeing the divergent paths of peers who lacked similar support systems instilled in me a deep sense of gratitude and a calling. After my final high school football game, I realized I wasn’t ready to leave the field; I immediately volunteered to assist with spring practices, marking the beginning of a coaching journey that continues to this day. While I am deeply passionate about the technical aspects of football, I view the game primarily as a vehicle for character development. Coaching gives me a profound sense of purpose, allowing me to mentor the next generation and provide the same stability and guidance that once changed the trajectory of my own life.
STS: How has your military experience influenced you as a coach?
Coach Kettinger: Leading soldiers has given me a unique toolkit for mentorship, centered on the belief that a team’s strength lies in its unity and shared purpose. I have learned that true leadership requires a delicate balance: the determination to push personnel toward excellence and the empathy to understand their personal obstacles. These experiences have taught me how to remain calm and analytical in high-stress situations, a skill I try to pass directly to my players. My goal as a coach is to build a culture of hard work and professionalism, where athletes don’t just play for themselves, but for the collective success of the team.
STS: How has Soldiers To Sidelines impacted your life?
Coach Kettinger: Soldiers To Sidelines (STS) has been a transformative catalyst in my development as a coach and mentor. While I initially joined to sharpen my technical football knowledge, I quickly discovered that STS offers something far more profound: a renewed sense of community and mission. Far too often, veterans struggle with a loss of identity and purpose after hanging up the uniform, which can lead to a difficult and isolated path. STS bridges that gap, providing a structure in which our military experience is not just honored but redirected toward a new calling. Being part of this organization has fundamentally shifted my outlook on life post-service, fueling my passion for this next chapter with a clear sense of belonging.
STS: Describe a coaching interaction with a player, or group of players, that has a special place in your heart?
Coach Kettinger: One of the most defining moments of my coaching career took place during my first game as a middle school football coach. I had the unique honor of leading a group of young men who had grown up playing backyard sports with my son since they were little. Having known them for years, I felt a deep responsibility to push them, and we spent weeks training rigorously as I intentionally moved them out of their comfort zones to teach them the true value of grit. During our season opener, each of them faced moments of doubt on the field, yet each responded with a key play that helped secure the win. But it wasn’t the win that was memorable; it was the look of accomplishment and understanding on their faces that gave me a sense of achievement and will always hold a special place in my heart.
STS: What are your aspirations in coaching?
Coach Kettinger: As with anything I do, competing at the highest level is my ultimate aspiration. Once my military career is over and I have the time and flexibility, I would love to return to my Alma Mater, the University of South Florida, and be a part of their coaching staff and one day reach the sidelines of the NFL.
STS: What was the most difficult challenge you have experienced in coaching, and what have you learned from that experience?
The most difficult challenge I have experienced as a coach is having to console my young players after a big loss that kept us from reaching the championship. Watching my boys give their all for an entire season and coming up short of a victory was hard. The loss, although unfortunate, I could deal with, but the look of self-disappointment on their faces was not easy to bear. Being so young and not having the experience to understand how a loss doesn’t make them failures or diminish all the hard work they put in, it took everything in my toolkit to turn the situation around and help build them back up to the winners we all knew they were.
STS: Is there anything else you can share with us about your coaching story?
I just want to thank Soldiers To Sidelines for everything they do for us as service members and veterans. As I stated above, this is more than a sports coaching organization, and the positive environment and impacts it has on us members are more meaningful than anyone can comprehend.
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