For teachers, coaching outside of the classroom is a major time commitment, especially if they coach in multiple seasons of the school year. One teacher at Southwest strives to not only do this throughout all three seasons of the year but with three different schools.
Social studies teacher Rich Troxel has found a way to pull of this daunting task.
When serving as a coach for three different schools, things can get a little complicated.
“It can get confusing as to what to wear — what spirit wear I need to be wearing on a given day,” he said. “Sometimes I have to be real careful as to what I say — I don’t want to say ‘Let’s go Huskies’ when I’m in the [Olathe East] girls’ huddle.”
The transition from teaching during the school day to coaching a sport at another school doesn’t give Troxel much time to stick around after the last bell rings.
“You have to manage your schedule,” he said. “The school knows and Mr. Roberts knows I’m doing it [coaching]. I have to get out of school pretty early compared to most teachers because I’m headed off to coach.”
Troxel is an inside linebackers coach for the Blue Valley Northwest football team and says it is his overall favorite sport and coaching position.
“I don’t know, I just love it,” he said. “I know and understand it better than any of the other sports. I’ve been coaching it for 28 years.”
Because Southwest and Northwest both play in the EKL, Troxel found himself on the opposite side of the field from Southwest.
“It was kind of weird, because I knew all the other guys, but I was on the other sideline,” Rich said. “I knew all the kids, but I was coaching against them.”
This isn’t the first time Rich — who will coach pole vaulters at Southwest for track and field in the spring — has coached three sports in a year.
“I used to, then I stopped for a while and now I’m starting to do it again as my daughter gets older,” he said.
He currently coaches freshman girls basketball at Olathe East, where his freshman daughter Bronwyn Troxel attends. She enjoys having her dad around.
“I love having my dad coach at my school,” she said. “Of course, sometimes its awkward because some of my friends play for him, but other than that it’s great. At the same time, it’s cool because my dad jokes with his players and they always tell me how funny he is, or how he thinks he’s funny. I think he’s funny.”
She is also on the freshman drill team at East and performs at some of the games.
“It’s really cool to see him coach,” Bronwyn said.
She can get confused with all the different teams her dad coaches but she’s glad that he does it.
“I really enjoy it,” she said. “I mean, it can get very confusing with like all of his clothing choices, when during the day he’s wearing Southwest stuff, then changes into something from OE or BVNW. But I am really proud of him and I know he loves coaching more than anything.”
There isn’t any rhyme or reason why he coaches the sports that he does, other than the sheer enjoyment and passion he has.
“I enjoy coaching and I just like doing it,” Rich said. “I like interacting with students outside of the classroom in a different format, a different setting. I like seeing players improve and get better because I’ve helped them improve.”