Cooper Rathbun has about a year and a half left at Lincoln High School, but that hasn’t stopped Rathbun from thinking about the long-term future of Leopard sports and activities.

By the time he graduates next year, the three-sport athlete would love to have put his teams on a promising trajectory. 

Rathbun, the Capitol Federal® True Blue® Student of the Week, is in the midst of his junior basketball season and will later hope to help the Lincoln/Sylvan-Lucas baseball team build off last year’s encouraging season. 

“I’m trying to leave a program that will be a winning one when I leave,” said Rathbun, who is an  integral part of Lincoln's basketball team that is in the mix for its first winning season since 2015-16. “We’re trying to build something here for the younger classes so in the years after I graduate maybe Lincoln can hang another banner on the wall.”

Rathbun’s schedule is jam-packed with sports and activities throughout the school year, with baseball and basketball his biggest passions. 

“I always went out for every sport. First through sixth grade I went out for four sports a year every year, just because I liked doing them and it filled the time,” he said. 

Come spring, Rathbun will look to help the Lincoln/Sylvan-Lucas baseball team take another step forward after going 10-10 last season, a six-win improvement from the year before. 

“Last year we got a new coach and practice was hard, but it was fun," Rathbun said. “We turned around and went .500. It’s middle of the pack, but it’s a lot better than Lincoln’s baseball program had ever done. I thought it was very important.”

Rathbun also plays football and is involved in several activities outside of sports. He is a member of the National Honor Society, Student Council and the Scholars Bowl team while also serving as the class president.

“It’s been great,” Rathbun said. “Scholars Bowl has been a lot of fun this year, even though we didn’t go that far.

“It’s a challenge sometimes, but it’s still a blast to be able to do it all.”

Rathbun is heavily involved in volunteer work in his community. He’s served the Lincoln County  Historical Society and the local Finch Theatre while also participating in the city wide clean up day and meals on wheels, fundraising for the United Way, assisting with the youth football programs, working the concession stands and participating in food drives for the Lincoln County Food Bank. Rathbun is also a member of the St. Patrick’s Catholic Church youth organization and previously belonged to the Salt Creek 4-H club. 

“(The 4-H club) was a lot of fun for me because we got to do a lot of things as a group,” Rathbun said. “We built a memorial in Barnard and got all the limestone together for it. That was the most fun.

“This summer, we did a program in school and I got to help people move stuff around for older people that need help. It was really nice to see them smile. Their faces would just light up when you’re there.”

Rathbun has also enjoyed his first year in the automotive technology program made possible through a partnership with Salina Technical College. 

“Over there, I’ve learned how to rebuild engines,” Rathbun said. “Right now, we’re on brakes. I’ve been learning how to redo an entire drum brake or rotary brake system and redo brake lines and everything. It’s been a lot of fun over there. It’s a lot of working with our hands so I quite enjoy that.”

Rathbun said he made a conscious effort to step up as a leader for the school starting his junior year. 

“Freshman year I was just trying to make friends,” he said. “Sophomore year was about the time I decided I wanted to take that (leadership) role. And it didn’t really come into effect until about this year. 

“Being at a small school is really nice because you know everybody, and you can be friends with everybody.”

Rathbun said he is considering engineering or accounting as career paths. 

“Not only is Cooper an outstanding student-athlete, he is also a role model to his peers,” Lincoln principal Nikki Flinn said. “Cooper is a kind, caring, friendly individual. Cooper gets along with everyone and he truly cares about others and his school. Cooper is a true example of a leader. 

“He is always working on improving himself whether in the classroom or on the court. He is always pushing to be the best he can be. All of this is complemented with a great personality and a fun sense of humor.”