HART, Michigan — Hart, Michigan is very small. There are just over 2,000 people who live in town. Those 2,000 spend much of their time at Hart High School cheering on their beloved Pirates.
Lately, there has been so much to cheer for. It is evident as soon as you walk through the doors of the high school with a trophy case filled to the brim with countless trophies from several of the Pirates athletic programs.
"Now, we are talking about how we are going to fit more in there," Hart athletic director Tim Hertzler said.
However, in the past, Hart was known for anything but winning.
"My kids struggled because they were on teams that lost before the game started," Hertzler said.
Due to a recent shift in culture and hiring the right people, Hart High School athletics has become very successful. This school year alone is the first time in a long time every sports program has a winning record.
"Everybody is excited when good things happen," Hertzler said.
Good things have definitely been happening. After 24 losing seasons in a row, the Hart Pirates football program recorded its first winning season since 1997 as the Pirates finished with a 6-3 overall record and a playoff appearance.
"It was a lot of fun to see the community start to get behind it," Hart football head coach Joe Tanis Said. "See the way the kids changed. The way they look at the program and look at each other and look at the sport of football."
The Pirates boys basketball team is 18-0 to start the season. Hart head boys basketball coach Nick Bronsema says this season reminds him of his favorite movie - Hoosiers. The 1986 film is based on a small-town Indiana high school basketball team defies the odds to win a state championship.
"It's a smaller school and a tight knit community and it's been an amazing ride," Bronsema said.
The girls' team also has been impressive with an 18-3 overall record.
"The kids don't give up," Hart girls basketball head coach Travis Rosema said. "They believe in themselves now. They know they can win now. That's been a tremendous change since I started here."
It's also the fourth straight year the wrestling team has made it to team state. This year the Pirates are led by 2013 Hart High School graduate Elijah Flores.
"We have a lot of heart here," Flores said. "It's kind of in its own being the Hart Pirates but, you know, the boys fight."
The Pirates competitive cheer team has also achieved phenomenal success as they are undefeated and breaking school records while taking home a conference championship and the district title.
The fight has also been seen by the girls track team, who has two state titles, the girls cross country team who has won five state championships in a row, and the boys cross country team being crowned state champs this past fall.
"We're all really positive and we all work hard at our sport," Hart senior Seth Ackley said.
"A lot of that has to come with the team atmosphere we have at the school," Hart senior Clayton Ackley said. "Positivity, I guess, is a big thing."
While the wins have been coming with all of its programs, it's not all about the wins and losses for Hart. The Pirates want to develop their kids into the best people possible, and they hope that positive culture will continue for years to come at Hart.
"The assumption is if we focus on building strong programs and strong kids through our athletics, the results will come," Hertzler said. "So it has been fun seeing a lot of results."
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