There is always a bit of a pause or double take when Lakeland football recruits find out that Coach Schweitzer is a woman.
 
In a sport dominated by men, Lakeland senior Kearstin Schweitzer is building a skill set and resume she hopes will turn her passion for football into a coaching career.
 
She's serving Lakeland's football program as outside wide receivers coach while finishing her bachelor's degree in sport management and leadership this December. It's a role that has grown over the past several years thanks to her commitment to learning and to bucking the odds.
 
Consider that among the approximately 10,000 members of the American Football Coaches Association, there are just 13 female coaches. There are no other female football coaches in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, which has nine schools with football programs.
 
"I'm real with myself," Schweitzer said. "My dream will always be to coach at the collegiate level. The bigger dream is a role with an NFL team. I want to have an impact on an organization."
 
At LU, she works alongside inside WR coach Jordan Edwards, preparing the Muskies' receivers for game day during the week and offseason. Schweitzer and Edwards also work together to prepare the team's equipment for game days.
 
Schweitzer is the primary contact for opposing teams for film exchange as she handles all of Lakeland's uploading to the Hudl website and cutting up film for individual and group review.
 
On game days, she signals in Lakeland's offensive plays, a critical role that has her working directly with head coach Colin Bruton, who calls those plays.
 
"With how fast we play, if she wasn't doing it, I don't know who else would," Bruton said. "We play really fast … it's one of the things we've done well the last couple years."
 
Schweitzer came to Lakeland from south-suburban Chicago in 2016 with her twin sister, Madison, as a pair of freshmen who played for the women's volleyball team. In 2018, she joined the football team as a manager, following through with a lifelong interest in football.
 
"I want to be involved in a sport atmosphere that embraces competitiveness and I knew football was that from having friends on the team," said Schweitzer, who played pickup football games in middle school.
 
"It comes down to the competitiveness, the passion for the game, all the components that go into the game, all the preparation. I've found that to perform on game day, it's more than just Xs and Os, more than what we do at practice. The trust between the team, the camaraderie, that chemistry, that has to happen."
 
In 2019, she was still a manager but took on some coaching duties, and the last two seasons she's in a role resembling a graduate assistant. Bruton said it's a tribute to the time she's put in and her work ethic.
 
"After that first year she came to me and said she wanted to be more involved," Bruton said. "Honestly, I was open to the idea but didn't know what she would be able to offer. Her understanding of football has improved a ton."
 
In year two, she was involved in on-the-field coaching responsibilities, and by year three she was running players through drills.
 
"We've grown her role and what we expect of her, and she's grown what she is capable of doing and become more comfortable," Bruton said. "She'll come in and say, 'If they give us this look, have you thought about doing this?' Usually a second- or third-year GA is when you get that. The fact that she's able to do that without the background of playing is impressive.
 
"She's a confident individual. People can be passive with the players, and she wasn't. Right away she commanded their respect and called them out when their effort was not there. She puts in the work and knows what she's talking about. I don't think our players look at her as the female coach … now she's a coach."
 
Demarious Brown, a senior wide receiver from Memphis, Tenn., agreed.
 
"For a second it was weird because she hasn't played," Brown said. "She knows what she's talking about. She's made a mark for herself. She's serious about her job. She's another coach … we call her Coach Kea."
 
Brown is a starter for the Muskies this fall, and he said Schweitzer has played a role in his success.
 
"She motivates me," he said. "I was down pretty low at one time and didn't want to do some things and she has always been very supportive."
 
Schweitzer said connecting with Lakeland's players has always been a focus as she's created her own presence on the staff.
 
"I want our players to know I have their best interest in mind and I'm there to help them," she said. "I talk with them on sidelines, ask how they're doing, how they feel about things, goof around with them sometimes so I can get their trust. I observe how they respond to things so I can be a better coach for them and so our interactions are more than just 'You need to do this.'"
 
Schweitzer understands her lack of formal playing experience is a deterrent. When she's not in class, she's in the football office breaking down film and game planning with the rest of the staff. She enjoys spending time listening to how LU defensive backs coach Patrick Johnson is teaching his players so she can gain advantages for how to coach her receivers.
 
"Many players believe a good coach can only come from personal experience," Schweitzer said. "I've overcome that by being knowledgeable in the things I speak about, watching and breaking down film with a player. That's all I can do is put in all the work and learn all I can from outside of the field.
 
"Before when I watched football I would celebrate the obvious plays. Now, I'm seeing the concepts and getting better identifying coverages teams are in, seeing where the read is and why they picked that read. It all strives from wanting to be a better coach for myself and our players."
 
Soon, Schweitzer will start applying for graduate assistant coach jobs on with college programs. While the number of women coaching football is small, there are role models. Schweitzer recalls getting a follow back on Twitter from Jennifer King, who is currently assistant running backs coach for the Washington Football Team of the NFL.
 
"I see the growing number of women in the NFL and say 'This could happen,'" Schweitzer said. "It's not just coaching. There are jobs in game day management, player personnel, recruiting, on-campus visits. There are more paths than just the coaching path.
 
"Our coaches put their trust in me that I'll do what they ask of me. A lot of the things I'm putting into the program are being put back into me. That tells me I'm doing a pretty good job."