I’m going to change lanes a bit on this week’s post; enough about me crying at movies and gushing over my grandchildren. Instead, I thought I’d give you a small glimpse of being a high school PE teacher and coach. I find the stereotypical characteristics of every PE teacher portrayed by television and movies to be hilarious. Kenny Powers in East Bound and Down was belly-busting funny. There are small truths attached to the PE teacher persona that, like everything in comedy, can be blown out of proportion, and I find it humorous. The former best athlete on campus has returned to enjoy continued fame where it all began. Dumb, clueless jock (like on Big Mouth), doesn’t give a shit about any school policy, and always does their own thing.

I think some of us (PE teachers) do have a bit of all those qualities, a closer look will show that we get paid the same as the A.P. honors teachers, the English teachers, and the science teachers, with much less to grade after school. Maybe, not so dumb afterall.

I’m not defending my job; I love going to work. I am fortunate to have a profession that I find important. If my high school PE teachers and coaches had not taken the time to encourage me and make me feel important, I probably would not have gone to college. I’m sure that in the early 1990s, I would have taken a job on a rig in the oilfields, like most of my friends did. The oil business is feast or famine here in Bakersfield. I have much respect for those who bust their asses in the summer heat doing a job that could end their lives at any moment.

The encouragement I received gave me the confidence I needed to see a bigger picture. I, in turn, try to reciprocate that same encouragement that I needed at that important time in my life. My job is mostly teaching 14 and 15-year-olds. There are times a student will make me so mad, they can really test my patience. Most times, however, they will make me laugh and keep me young with their antics and immaturity. It’s easier to remember the dumb ass I was, seeing the same behaviors repeated daily. I have a twenty-plus-year bag of quick replies to dish out to students who want to be smart asses. I won’t share them here because most of them are right on the edge of professionalism and inappropriateness. (Not too inappropriate, I promise)

I strongly encourage after-school activities for all my students, not just sports. There are multiple club opportunities for every student. Drama, music, video games, fishing, knitting, the list goes on and on. A simple statement from me, asking a student if they have any interest in joining an extracurricular activity, can have profound results. My best golfer this last season only joined the team because I asked him if he wanted to try it. He was a random, awkward kid who had never seen a golf club and grew into a great golfer as a senior. He will be my first golfer to play in college. Fifteen years ago, a young freshman showed promise in throwing the shot and disc during my PE track unit. That student joined the track team and eventually qualified for the California State meet in his junior year and went on to receive a track scholarship.

I don’t feel in any way that I propelled these students to greatness; I just offered encouragement and opportunity to something they didn’t know existed. I have coached sports for over thirty years, and I have made lasting connections with players and players’ children. I have been invited to weddings, children’s birthday parties, Quinceañeras, and have had several beers bought for me by former players. This may sound like a not-so-humble brag, but it’s a true blessing to have been given guidance when I needed it most by my teachers and coaches, whom I respected. I feel conviction to do the same for the underprivileged students who are, like I was, in need of someone to open their eyes and see the world is much bigger than just who you see every day and where you live.

To get off my soapbox and add some humility to this post. I cried last night reading And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini. He also made me cry while reading The Kite Runner.

Coop