Tag Archives: Athletic Coaches

Teachers who are also athletes and/or coaches.

Math educator, soccer coach, and outstanding athlete Lorraine Fitzhugh

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High school math educator and coach Lorraine Fitzhugh of Minden, Nevada, has also earned acclaim as a women’s soccer player.

There are countless examples of outstanding athletes who have gone on to successful careers as educators. One of these is Lorraine Fitzhugh, an outstanding soccer player who went on to coach and teach in Minden, Nevada.

After her high school graduation, Lorraine attended Washington State University, where she played soccer for her college team. Her position was defender. Between 1985 and 1987, she trained with the Western Regional team of the US National program. later, she played for a soccer club based in Seattle. That club won an over-30 national championship. In 1986, Lorraine competed with the US team in a play-off match against Canada for the North American Cup title. In that match, the US team emerged victorious.

In 1999, Lorraine accepted a position as a mathematics and technology teacher at Pau-Wa-Lu Middle School in Gardnerville, Nevada. The next year, she transferred to Douglas High School in Minden, Nevada. There she served as the coach of the boys’ junior varsity soccer team. The following year, she became Head Coach of the girls’ soccer team. Over the next eight years, she led her girls to two state titles, two regional championships, and three Sierra League titles. She retired from coaching in 2013.

Lorraine’s career as an educator has spanned 20 years. She continues to teach math, AP Computer Science, and Computer Science Principles. She also serves her school as a STEAM leader. To read more about this amazing athlete and educator, see this link at the Record-Courier.

Teacher, coach, and athletic director Paul Loggan succumbs to coronavirus

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Teacher, coach, and athletic director Paul Loggan of North Central High School in Indiana, succumbed to coronavirus on April 12, 2020.

Sadly, the coronavirus has claimed the life of another dedicated educator. Paul Loggan of Indianapolis, Indiana, succumbed to the illness on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020. He was only 57 years old.

Paul was born on April 5, 1963. As a young man, he graduated from Rushville High School in Rushville, Indiana, and then enrolled at the University of Indianapolis. He attended the university from 1981 to 1985. There he was an All-American linebacker. In 1981, he was a member of the Heartland Collegiate Conference Championship team.

Paul was named the Athletic Director of North Central High School in Washington Township, Indianapolis, in 2014. He had already been serving his school as a teacher, coach, department chair, and assistant athletic director. His career at North Central, which began in 1988. Before teaching at North Central, he also taught at Roncalli and Franklin High Schools. In all, Paul devoted 31 years of his life to his profession.

During his lengthy career, Paul coached 24 Division II and 36 Division I athletes, including players in a total of 14 bowl games. Three of his former players went on to play in the NFL. For his many successes as a coach, Paul garnered the Ken Leffler Award Contribution from the Indiana Football Coaches Association in 1990. He also earned the President’s Award winner for the Indiana Football Coaches Association in 1992. In addition, he was named a member of the UIndy Board of Directors for the Greyhound Club from 2005 to 2010. He was inducted into the University of Indiana Hall of Fame in 2012.

“Paul’s passion and dedication for North Central were unmatched,” remembered Rick Doss, Director of Secondary Schools of Washington Township. “He was an unbelievable advocate for NC athletics and every student who ever donned an NC uniform. While he wanted every NC team to win a state championship, he was he was an even bigger cheerleader for every NC athlete,” Doss continued. “He knew the value of team sports but wanted every student to grow through his/her athletic experience because he knew those experiences would set him/her up for success beyond high school,” Doss concluded.

To learn more about this amazing chalkboard champion, see this online article at WishTV.

Dane Weaver named Wyoming’s 2020 Teacher of the Year

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High school Social Studies teacher Dane Weaver from Ten Sleep, Wyoming, has been named his state’s 2020 Teacher of the year.

I enjoy sharing stories about exceptional teachers who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Dane Weaver, a high school social studies teacher from Wyoming.

Dane teaches in Ten Sleep High School in the town of Ten Sleep. The school is part of Washakie County School District #2. The honoree has taught there for the past three years. In addition to his classroom responsibilities, Dane serves his school as the advisor for the student council, as the Assistant Football Coach, and as a member of the building intervention team.

Prior to relocating to Ten Sleep, Dane taught in Jackson, Tennessee. There he taught social studies and served as a teacher coach. In that capacity, he assisted new and struggling teachers through teaching best practices in the classroom. For this work, Dane was recognized as the Teacher of the Year in Jackson Madison County in 2016.

The honored educator asserts that social studies is primarily about building critical thinking skills. “This has to be done through primary sources, digging through the content, looking at what people actually did. So my mode of education is a very active teacher.”

Dane had great models for this manner of teaching. As a youngster, Dane was raised in a household that valued education. His mother was the first woman to teach agriculture in the state of Tennessee. From her, Dane learned an appreciation for inspiring others through education.

Dane earned his Bachelor’s degree from Freed-Hardeman University, a private university located in Henderson, Tennessee. He earned his Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Carson Newman College, a private liberal arts university located in Jefferson City, Tennessee.

To read more about Dane, see this link from the Wyoming State Department of Education.

Coronavirus claims life of Special Ed teacher and varsity baseball coach Ben Luderer

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Special Education teacher and varsity baseball coach Ben Luderer of Cliffside Park, New Jersey, succumbs to coronavirus.

Sadly, the Covid-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of numerous beloved educators and coaches. One of these is Ben Luderer, a middle school special education teacher and baseball coach from Cliffside Park, New Jersey. Ben was only 30 years old, and healthy, when he contracted the coronavirus and then passed away on March 30, 2020.

Ben was a New Jersey native, having been born on September 29, 1989, in River Vale, New Jersey. As a high school student, Ben was a star baseball player at Don Bosco Preparatory High School, a private Catholic school located in Ramsey, New Jersey.  In 2008, his team logged a record of 33 games undefeated, a nearly impossible achievement, and earned the state championship. Local news outlets dubbed the team the Ironmen. “That team was invincible,” recalls Ben’s former coach, Greg Butler, in an interview with BuzzFeed News. “They felt they couldn’t be beaten, and they weren’t.”

As a result of his high school successes, Ben earned a baseball scholarship to Marist College in New York. There he hit .263 with two home runs and 35 RBI.

OnceBene graduated from college, he inaugurated his career as a special education teacher at School #6 in the Cliffside Park School District. He also began coaching varsity baseball. “I think he realized the power you have and the influence you have,” Butler commented. “I think he wanted to give back.”

“He touched so many lives,” remembers Ben’s wife, Brandy Luderer. “Whether it be a co-worker or an administrator or a player or a student, he always went out of his way to help people. He was a stand-up guy, a stand-up man,” she remarked.

To learn more about this chalkboard champion, see the online article published by BuzzFeed.

Educator and basketball coach Arnold Obey succumbs to Covid-19

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Educator Arnold Obey, center, coached boys varsity basketball at  Staten Island Academy for eight seasons. (Photo credit: Staten Island Advance)

The Covid-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of several beloved educators. One of these is Arnold Obey, an accomplished teacher and principal from New York.

Arnold was born on March 5, 1947, in the Bronx, New York. He was the oldest of six children. As a young man, he was a star athlete on his school’s basketball team. He helped lead DeWitt Clinton High School to a 38-1 record, two public school city championship games, and one city title.

His  prowess was so impressive that he earned a basketball scholarship to Wagner College on Staten Island. During the years he attended Wagner, 1965 to 1968, the stellar athlete earned over 1,018 points cumulatively in his basketball games. He also participated in track and field, running the 100 and 200 yard dashes and a leg in the 4×400 yard relay. Also a long and triple jumper, Arnold established a school record in the triple jump with a leap of 44’ 11 ½.”. He held that record for over 30 years. In fact, he was inducted into Wagner’s Hall of Fame in 1991.

After college, Arnold served as an Assistant Basketball Coach at Wagner for three seasons. He also became the Boys’ Varsity Basketball Coach at Staten Island Boys Academy. There he guided his team for eight seasons, from 1977 to 1985.

After earning his college degree in 1968, Arnold inaugurated his career as an educator. He accepted a position as a history teacher in the Mariner’s Harbor neighborhood of Staten Island. Eventually he became the assistant principal at PS 16 in Tompkinsville. He also served as the principal of PS 31 in New Brighton, also on Staten Island. Arnold retired from the teaching professoin in 2002.

During his lengthy career in education, Arnold also established himself as an avid runner. He completed the NYC Marathon an astounding 38 times, even after suffering a stroke in 2012. His personal best time was 3 hours, 31 minutes.

Sadly, Arnold passed away from Covid-19 on March 22, 2020, while on vacation in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with his family. He was 73 years old. You can read his obituary published by the New York Times on March 30, 2020.