With many faculty members who are departing the school or are no longer coaching, multiple sports teams face the prospect of losing their coaches for the 2018-2019 school year. The cross-country team lost all three coaches, and the soccer teams will lose part, if not all, of their coaching team. The oldest athletes are currently carrying out recruitment efforts, talking to various teachers about their interests in sports. If they cannot find coaches from the current pool of teachers, they plan to contact new teachers during and immediately after summer break.
Two sports are expecting the heaviest losses. Both varsity and JV cross-country teams will lose all three coaches: Jennifer Miller, Tyler Miller, and Ray Marangelo. The coaches have been part of the team for many years. Currently, cross-country members are unsure who will be their next coach.
“When I joined cross country, I was not a good runner,” Albert Hong (9) said. “Despite that, they encouraged me and kept me pushing myself, even when I really did not want to run anymore. For that, I thank them, and it is really going to be a shame to see them leave.”
Varsity boys soccer will lose David Robinson, and varsity girls soccer may lose both of their coaches, Mary Ghadimi and Tamara Atanaskovic. Coach Ghadimi may not continue next year because she wants to be fully dedicated to her AP classes. Also, Coach Atanaskovic told several soccer athletes that she is not sure whether she will coach.
“I am probably not going to coach next year for varsity girls soccer,” said Tamara Atanaskovic, current coach of the varsity girls soccer team. “I thought I would be more useful teaching varsity girls volleyball instead. For me, the hardest part in making the decision was leaving the girls, but I know they are in good hands as Ms. Shelby will be back to coach for them next year.”
Cross-country and soccer athletes will continue recruitment efforts with incoming teachers, if they are unsuccessful with the returning teachers. Since cross-country is a fall sport that starts on the second day of school, it is very likely that the team may have no coach for the first few days if returning teachers are not willing to coach. For the first few days, cross-country athletes plan to exercise regardless of whether they can recruit coaches by that time. Rising senior athletes will lead the team in exercises that the team did this school year. Soccer athletes, since the sport begins in spring, are less worried about the possibility of having no coaches.