When thinking about school sports, the first thing that comes to mind are the students who participate in them. But what about the teachers that guide and support us everyday? What were some of the biggest achievements of your teachers before they committed to teaching you? Did they play football, baseball, basketball? Did they dance, cheer, or perform in color guard? All of these are, and were, important sports to the young lives of your teachers.
Mr. Hoyle, a biology and marine biology teacher, has been very involved in sports activities for as long as he can remember. In the past, he had tried lots of other sports before he realized he was the best at baseball.
“There is a lot of strategy and situational awareness used in baseball,” Hoyle said. “Plus it’s really fun to hit the ball really far.”
His father supported and encouraged him all throughout his baseball career, including in high school which was around the time he stopped playing. Hoyle showed much discipline in his decision to give up the game when he realized that playing baseball was not going to get him into college, so he chose to focus on academics.
“It would have been a dream to be a professional baseball player, but that wasn’t realistic,” Hoyle said.
Hoyle is happy with his decision because he has had multiple opportunities to coach baseball and softball for his children’s teams, which has kept him in the sport.
Even now, Hoyle still participates in a weekly men’s slow pitch softball league which has kept him active in the game for the past 25 years. However, that is not the only exercise that he involves himself in. Hoyle still enjoys marathon running, weightlifting, rock climbing, volleyball, flag football, and ultimate frisbee. Having all of these activities to keep him busy and healthy in his weekly routine shows a lot about how much he loves sports activities.
Hoyle has one important message to share about playing sports.
“Playing a sport, besides keeping you active and healthy, offers many life lessons like teamwork, discipline, work ethic, resilience, leadership, communication, responsibility, social skills, and emotional intelligence,” Hoyle said.
A Spanish teacher here at CHS has a motivating sports story to share. In Mrs. Hedding’s youth, she played on many sports teams but her favorite was basketball. Hedding’s position on her basketball team was a point guard, making sure the ball makes it to the opposite team’s net. Ever since she was 14, she has loved to practice and stay active in the sport. Unfortunately, Hedding left professional basketball in her dreams once she made the decision to go to college and focus on alternative work. Looking back on her past, she does not regret her choice and loves teaching Spanish.
Although she opted on leaving basketball in her past, she has no regrets.
“I still practice basketball when I can, I love being outdoors, playing different sports, and going on hikes!”
Hedding was, and still is, very dedicated and competitive whenever she plays on a sports team. For students at CHS, she has one encouraging message.
“Never give up, keep going. Get better everyday. Learn from the wins and losses. Most importantly, always believe in yourself and your team.”
Sports have played significant roles in the lives of many of our teachers here at CHS. Their stories tell us about the lasting impacts of athletic experiences. These experiences bring much more than just academic knowledge into the classroom. The memories of past challenges and triumphs hold value to many teachers’ childhoods that they would have never experienced if not for the sports of their past.
There is so much more to your teachers than just teaching you math, or biology, or English. The sport they played in their youth tells more than just their athletic abilities. It shows dedication, intelligence, leadership, and so much more. This gives a special insight into who they are as a person, or who they were as a child, that very few students have seen until now. Learning about the sports memories of your teachers can inspire so many people to take a leap and join a team, or challenge other opportunities. Never be afraid to inquire about the stories that rest behind the faces you see everyday.
