From leading a team to victories on the court, to leading a classroom to success on their transcripts, teachers and coaches at Granite Bay High School are working inside and out of their school to push their students and athletes to success.
The various duties of teaching during and after school hours makes it difficult for the teachers and coaches to catch up and balance their other responsibilities.
“It can be hard at times, being able to get my classroom prepared and then also preparing the boys for practice or a game.” Jordan Magnusson, a biology teacher and basketball coach at Granite Bay High School said. “At the same time, sometimes it’s hard to distinguish (from moving between) the classroom and the court at times.”
For these teachers, planning is essential to all aspects of not only their day to day routine, but also for the future season.
“I start planning for my season back in October, and our season doesn’t start till January”, said Shane Jackson, a biology teacher and the head track and field coach at Granite Bay High School.
Magnusson said it was also difficult to find time with his family outside of school and practice, and that he is gone a lot more during the season than he usually would be offseason.
“I would … caution new teachers to think about how much time you really devote to something … especially if you have a family and kids,” Jerry Pike, an advanced photo teacher and boys varsity tennis coach at Granite Bay said, “My kids are out of the house … so I have a lot more time to give.”
On the days that they don’t have practice, the coaches expressed it was vital to keep the balance of their activities and their personal lives.
“It’s important to have balance in all facets of life because we all get busy. Students have a lot to balance,” Michael Stockton, a special education teacher and basketball coach said. “They take care of themselves, and as a coach, you have to take care of yourself too.”
Although these jobs consume a lot of the coaches’ time, a lot of them expressed how it was enjoyable to continue to participate and lead in a sport that they loved.
“My mom would always say I had a basketball coming out of the womb,” Magnusson said. “I’ve just been playing for as far as I can remember. I love the sport and being able to continue to do it.”
