photo by: Contributed

Adam Leitel is pictured with Free State High School tennis players.

A high school teacher and coach who died suddenly at age 41 is being mourned in the Lawrence school district, along with his unique ability to inspire students.

“He was somebody that everybody felt like they could talk to,” said Free State High School track and field head coach Jordan Rose about assistant coach Adam Leitel, who died on Feb. 4.

Leitel was a social studies and history teacher at Free State High School and an assistant coach with both the track and tennis teams. Since his death, following an accident at his home where he fell and suffered a spinal injury, Leitel’s current and former students and friends have flooded social media with tributes to the powerful impact he had on their lives.

Rose said that she first met Leitel shortly after she was named head coach for Free State’s track team.

“He applied to be the jumps and sprints coach,” said Rose, who hired him and soon came to admire his way with the student-athletes.

The two worked together for the last 10 years. She said Leitel was excited to work with students regardless of their abilities or backgrounds and that he aimed to build their self-confidence as much as their athletic abilities.

photo by: Contributed

Adam Leitel is pictured speaking with a Free State High School track athlete.

“He was the No. 1 advocate for our program,” she said, citing his enthusiasm. “He was funny and made everyone feel comfortable.”

Leitel would often send Rose late-night messages expressing his excitement for an upcoming track meet, and she said he was always coming up with new ideas to help improve the track program for students.

“We have over 200 kids, and I think he was a big part of that. I know he was a big part of that,” Rose said.

Leitel worked with the sprinters and jumpers on the track team. Rose said that sprinters, in particular, are prone to injuries, and Leitel made it his goal to reduce injuries by focusing on quality of training over quantity.

Leitel also connected with students in the classroom. Aaron Clark, a fellow teacher, said he met Leitel about six years ago. Clark was the head coach of the tennis team, and after knowing Leitel for two years through the social studies department he asked him to join him coaching girls’ tennis — a decision that paid off in more ways than he expected.

photo by: Contributed

Adam Leitel is pictured with Free State High School tennis players.

“He built relationships with every player on the team,” Clark said.

A head coach doesn’t always get to work with every player, but as an assistant coach Leitel made the time to learn about and work with everyone, Clark said.

“He didn’t have a whole lot of tennis experience, but that’s not always a necessity if you’re able to engage the kids and make it fun,” Clark said.

Clark thought Leitel might only coach for a year or two, given that he didn’t have a tennis background, but Leitel developed an affection for the sport, and his eagerness never faded.

Leitel’s impact went way beyond sports, Clark said.

“I always considered him one of the (social studies) department’s more knowledgeable people. He was always the guy that was modifying (his classes) and changing things every year to add on and add on. That’s why I think so many students, not just student-athletes, were impacted — because of how he taught history and how he brought it to them,” Clark said.

Leitel was an avid sports fan and loved University of Kansas athletics and the Kansas City Royals. Every year on his birthday, he bought himself a new Royals cap, according to his obituary. He also loved the Kansas City Chiefs, for which he had season tickets. On Friday, students at Free State were encouraged to wear red in honor of Leitel’s love of the Chiefs, who are playing in the Super Bowl on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Students started a memorial on the Free State High School campus where they shared messages in chalk, such as “Thank you for encouraging me to pursue nursing” and “Thank you for being an amazing teacher, coach, and friend. We miss you. Thank you for everything” and “The sweetest soul.”

photo by: Contributed

A memorial at Free State High School honors teacher and coach Adam Leitel, who died on Feb. 4, 2023, at age 41.

Leitel, who was born in North Dakota and graduated from KU and Pace University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history, joined the Lawrence school district in August 2012, said Julie Boyle, a district spokesperson.

“Our hearts go out to his family and the Free State students and staff, past and present, who benefited from his teaching and collegiality,” she said.

Rose said that a memorial has been scheduled for Feb. 27, which is Leitel’s birthday as well as the first day of the season for track and field at Free State. The memorial service will be at 2 p.m. at the Penwell-Gabel Olathe Chapel and will be streamed live online.

“Students have been there for each other and lifting each other up. Checking on us (teachers) constantly and seeing if we are OK and bringing us cards and flowers and talking about how much we mean to them, and they just want to let us know because they didn’t get to tell him,” Rose said.