Curious. Listener. Coach.
I am actually not sure when I realized that not everyone grew up playing sports. My childhood was filled with baseball, basketball and golf. My first coach as a little league baseball player in South Dakota was my dad and my mom was my biggest fan. My parent’s unconditional support, deep sense of fair play, and strong work ethic remain my compass in life. Through high school and onto college, sports and the love of the game defined me and my social groups. With my powerful experiences from teachers and coaches growing up, I gravitated naturally to become a teacher at the University of South Dakota. However, through my work on a Master’s degree in Educational Counseling, I realized my desire to combine sport and its life lessons to support people.
After coaching for 15 seasons, a move to Oregon was a leap of faith and life changing that stretched me in a positive way. The move required a fresh perspective and brought the new challenges of starting over in different surroundings. Then after six seasons, my next role as a high school athletic director required the need to be intentional about culture. In this role, the daily practice of coaching coaches is where I found the spot where all my experiences and life compass came together. In the effort to change the culture of our school athletic programs, a fellow athletic director joined me to hold workshops on Saturday mornings. Our intent was to help our coaches focus less on the scoreboard and more on supporting the character components of their programs.
These Saturday morning conversations have evolved into an effort to energize relationships and amplify learning. As coaches, athletic directors and anyone on their leadership journey, it is important to create space for impactful professional development. It is a truth - everyone benefits from being coached and being coachable.
Pivotal Moments
An impactful moment in my life happened over several summers when I coached a community baseball team alongside my dad. It was a unique experience as my younger brother was also part of the team, making it a true family affair. The pinnacle of this experience was working with a terrific group of kids that won the 1993 South Dakota Legion Baseball Tournament. While the victory was gratifying, the relationships that we built as a team are what I cherish the most today. Together, we shared both the joys of victory and the pains of defeat. I am certain that this success would not have been possible without the valuable lessons that I learned from coaching with my dad.
In the spring of 2005, the Tri-Valley Boys Basketball team reached the state tournament. It was my twelfth year as coach, and our success brought a deep sense of satisfaction. However, the season held a life-changing event that began in September when one of our star players was diagnosed with cancer. Despite battling this awful disease throughout the season, he was determined to compete, despite the pain. Sometimes, it seems like divine intervention is at play in sports. Jay's teammates rallied around him to ensure that he would make it to the state tournament, and he did. The experience transformed me, as I recognized the importance of focusing on relationships and the people around us. Jay's passing later that summer was a poignant reminder that life can be short, and we should cherish the time with those closest to us.
A completely different professional experience had me feeling both terrified and exhilarated at the same time. I presented at the Oregon Athletic Directors Conference in 2016. Having been a teacher for many years, this experience was different as I was now sharing with peers on topics important to me. Since then, I have eagerly embraced opportunities to collaborate with athletic directors and coaches. Through these interactions, I have gained valuable insights and continue to refine my own ideas. For me, the athletic directors are more than just colleagues, they are my thought partners, mentors, and teammates.