When I was in high school, I never would have thought I would be a Phys Ed teacher. I never thought of what I wanted to do in life because I was so focused on sports. All I cared about was getting in shape for football and trying to get into a good school. I was only an average student so I knew that football will help me with that goal, and it did. I got accepted into TCNJ because they wanted me to play for them. My grades weren't good enough for there, but Coach Hamilton was able to get me in as a special admit. So now I am there and my main focus is football, and not what I wanted to major in. So I started out my freshman year as undecided. I took a bunch of general education courses and they all bored me to death. I realized that sports are what I know and what I enjoy. So that made up my mind that I wanted to become a Phys Ed major, but training not teaching.
My sophomore year roles around and I hurt my back real bad from football. The doctor tells me that if I still wanted to play I would have to get back surgery, which he strongly advised against because I was only 20 years old. He said the best thing for my back is to stop with contact sports. The wear and tear through the years of football destroyed my back. This crushed me. So I told my coach the situation and he totally understood. He knew I had to what was best for my health. Coach demanded me that I stayed in football though, and he got me a local coaching job for the Allentown High School football team as the running back coach. This was the job that got me into education. I realized that I absolutely loved coaching and teaching because of the relationship I developed with the players. I was only able to coach there for one year, but that was enough for me to realize this is what I wanted to do.
Since I became a teacher, I have no regrets. I really enjoy the unique and different relationships that get developed with my students and players. Every year, I get new students and players and I get to form new ones. I'm not going to lie, some students or players I am happy to see go because you can't connect with all of them, you will go crazy trying to. The ones that I did connect with, I will definitely miss but look forward to developing ones similar with new students.
I believe that every teacher's philosophy is different from everyone else. A lot are similar, but not exact. A philosophy is what you believe is most important to make your strategy work. As you can probably tell with me, being able to relate and get across to the students is the most important to me. I never let another teacher make my decision about a student. What I mean by that is, when another teacher goes to me, "Oh you have that kid? Good luck!" I give every student a chance. We don't know what goes on at home with some of the kids, so I would never write a kid off before I make my own personal evaluation on him or her.
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I think that coaches are extremely influential on the lives of so many students. A lot of my students talk about their football coaches even during the school day- they look up to and admire them in a different way than they do with their teachers or other adults. You probably don't even realize how influential you are during the day-to-day of practices and games- but kids need structure and sports are a great way to help them focused in the classroom too. I also think that having a strong athletic program at a middle/high school makes a big difference on school climate and moral.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the athletics department and extra curricular clubs are a key component to student's success in academics. We try to encourage all of our students to become "part" or something more than just the student body.
ReplyDeleteI have taught MANY football players and athletes through the years and not only do they hold their coaches, like you, on a pedestal but their increase of academic motivation during season is apparent.
The sense of "teamwork" is carried from the court/field into the classroom. Many of my class leaders have been sportsman, class council, or part of a extracurricular club.
I am not sure if "leadership" qualities are a product of being part of a team/club or if these specific students are just born leaders ( I am sure a little of both) but they become an intricate part of my teaching becuase these are the students that I push to motivate the other students. It is very hard to instruct with little motivation.
Coaches and teachers are two very different yet have extraordinary circumstances. The impact you have on your students and athletes lives is one that they are going to be affected by day in a day out. What you're teaching as a coach, are many other life long skills besides just the sport stuff. Self motivation, control, peserverance, responsibility. All of these qualities equals to one's success, and it sounds like you as their role model and someone they can look up to will guide them along this positive road.
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