Tag Archives: Athletic Coaches

New Mexico teacher Chris Sarmiento succumbs to Covid-19

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New Mexico teacher and coach Chris Sarmiento succumbed to Covid-19 on Feb. 19, 2021. He taught at Vista Middle School in Las Cruces. Chris was only 33 years old. Photo credit: KVIA-ABC7.

Sadly, we report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another beloved educator. Chris Sarmiento, a teacher and coach from Las Cruces, New Mexico, succumbed to the disease on Feb. 19, 2021. He was only 33 years old.

Chris was born on July 17, 1987, in El Paso, Texas. As a young man, he graduated from Jefferson High School in his home town. He earned his Bachelor’s degree and teaching credential from University of Texas, El Paso.

Chris taught social studies to sixth and seventh grades at Vista Middle School. The loss of this teacher and coach will be keenly felt among his students and colleagues, asserts school Principal Mike Brewer. “He was one of those teachers that, if you needed something done, he was one of the first ones that would step up,” Brewer recalls. “It’s going to be a big loss for the Vista family.”

Chris was well-known as more than a teacher and coach to his students. He was also a role model and substitute parent. “He wanted to be a father figure for those kids that didn’t have one,” said his widow, Mary Sarmiento. Mentoring young people was a tradition in his family, she explained. “The reason why he taught is because he followed in his grandfather’s footsteps,” she said. She noted that her husband’s grandfather, Tula Irraboli, was a passionate advocate for children. In El Paso, Irraboli worked to help at-risk youth find motivation to succeed in athletics.

In addition to his responsibilities in the classroom, Chris also coached the eighth grade football team. He continued his efforts to mentor his young athletes. “He wanted to tell them it was important to be a good athlete, but also a good student,” his wife said.

Prior to teaching in Las Cruces, Sarmiento taught at Anthony High School in Texas, his wife said. He also tutored at Bowie High School in El Paso and completed his student teaching at Brown Middle School.

To read more about Chris Sarmiento, see this obituary.

Arkansas teacher, coach Sean Fletcher succumbs to Covid

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With sadness another educator has been lost to Covid. Sean Fletcher, a German teacher and coach succumbed to the disease on Dec. 12, 2020. Photo credit: Legacy.

With great sadness I report the passing of yet another educator we have lost to Covid. Sean Fletcher, a high school German teacher and coach, succumbed to the disease on December 12, 2020. He was only 49 years old.

Sean was born on July 26, 1971, in Mountain Home, Arkansas. He graduated from Mountain Home High School in 1989. As a young man, he earned his Bachelor’s degree in German Language and Literature in 1993. While in college, he was involved in student government and Theta Chi, Order of Omega.

Sean taught German and History in the Yellville-Summit School District. His career was inaugurated in 1998. He also donated his time as an Assistant Coach for the Yellville-Summit Panthers Baseball team and the Pee-Wee basketball team. He retired in 2020.

This amazing educator will surely be missed by all who knew him.  “Mr. Fletcher was an amazing teacher and coworker,” recalls colleague Rebecca Gates. “He always had us laughing in class. When I started teaching, he welcomed me with open arms and was always willing to answer any questions I had. Parent Walter Severs agrees. “Sean was a very good and beyond good teacher. His influence will be felt through his students and their influences for generations,” asserted Severs. “I first met Sean through our daughter, who was one of his many students. She always told me that he was one of the best teachers she ever had,” Severs continued. “Above all, he sincerely cared about his students and their futures. Sean will always be remembered and talked about in so many good ways for as long as there are memories,” Severs concluded.

The stricken teacher was considered by those who knew him as a true Arkansan who faithfully supported the Arkansas Razorbacks. Sean also spent a large amount of time studying his family’s genealogy.

To see Sean’s obituary, click on this link to the Legacy.

Florida teacher and coach Jeff Larson succumbs to Covid-19

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Florida science teacher and football coach Jeff Larson passed away from Covid-19 on Dec. 25, 2019. (Photo credit: Milton High School)

It is with great sadness that we report the passing Jeff Larson, a beloved educator and coach from Milton, Florida. Jeff succumbed to Covid-19 on December 25, 2019. He was 60 years old.

Jeff’s career as an educator spanned nearly four decades He taught first in Texas, and then he relocated to Florida, where he spent the last 25 years of his career. He was a science teacher and football coach at Milton High School in the Santa Rosa County School District in Milton, Florida.

Jeff will be sorely missed. “He was probably the most revered science teacher in the department,” remembered Tim Short, Milton High School Principal. “A great teacher, a tremendous football coach, but a better person.” Short continued, “He wasn’t a coach that taught, he was a teacher that coached. His peers could see the impact that he had on kids and on the school and on the community.”

Not only was he an exemplary educator, but Jeff’s prowess as a football coach was also well-known. “Many have wondered just how he took a group of average/undersized offensive linemen and delivered them to the doorstep of a Florida State Championship,” remarked Jeff’s former student Wesley Meiss, who is now the mayor of Milton. “Answer: Technique. His technique turned young boys into the men we are today,” Meiss continued.

In addition to his responsibilities in the classroom, Jeff sponsored the school’s martial arts club and the debate club. He also coached baseball, softball, and other sports. Jeff was honored as the Teacher of the Year in 2004-2005.

To read more about this Chalkboard Champion, see this story published by the Pensacola News Journal.

West Virginia’s Vicky Bullett: Former teacher and basketball coach

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West Virginia’s Vicky Bullett is a former middle school teacher and previous Olympic athlete who works as a girls basketball coach.

There are many fine educators who have a history as a remarkable student athlete, and often these educators demonstrate exceptional talent as athletic coaches. One of these is West Virginia’s Vicky Bullett, a former Olympic athlete who also worked as a teacher and girls basketball coach.

Vicky was born October 4, 1967, in Martinsburg, West Virginia. While she was a young girl, she played basketball with her six brothers in their back yard.

After she graduated from high school, Vicky garnered a scholarship to attend the University of Maryland from 1985 to 1989. There she also played on the women’s basketball team. While at Maryland, she was named a 1989 Kodak All-American. In fact, over the course of her college years she averaged 16.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Vicky is one of the most decorated players in the university’s history. In 1989, Vicky earned her a Bachelor’s degree in General Studies and in 2001, she returned to school and earned an additional degree in Social Work.

Vicky was named to the US Olympic basketball teams in both 1988 and 1992. In 1988, the tewam earned a gold medal, and in 1992, the team earned a bronze medal. This exceptional athlete also played for the US team in the 1990 Goodwill Games, and she was a member of the US National team that went to the 1990 World Championships held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She played in Italy and Brazil, before joining the Charlotte Sting when the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) was launched in 1997. She played three seasons there and three more with the Washington Mystics.

In 2007, Vicky returned to Martinsburg, West Virginia, where she accepted a position as a teacher for the Berkeley County Board of Education. She completed graduate courses in Education and then became a teacher and basketball coach at South Middle School in Martinsburg. “For young people, today’s world is difficult,” observes Vicky. “You’ve got to be careful what you say to some kids. They respond to certain things and the coach’s job is to know how,” she continues. “Each kid has a different personality and different strengths. You’ve got to find a way to get the best out of them. They’re learning to trust you and you want your student-athletes to buy into your philosophy and what you’re teaching them,” she concludes.

In January, 2009, Vicky left the classroom and accepted a job as an Assistant Coach with the Washington Mystics. Later that year, she also became the Manager of Basketball Operations for the organization. In the years that followed she also served as the Head Coach for the women’s basketball teach at Hagerstown Community College in Hagerstown, Maryland. In May, 2016, she was named as the Head Coach for the women’s basketball team at West Virginia Wesleyan College.

Vicky was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 2011. In honor of being a member of the 1988 Gold Medal Team, Vicky’s home town of Martinsburg renamed the street in which she grew up to “Vicky Bullett Street.”

To read more about this Chalkboard Champion, see this interview entitled World Champions of the Panhandle by Katherine Cobb.

 

Covid claims life of Alabama teacher, coach Leo Davidovich, Jr.

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Special Education teacher and coach Leo Davidovich, Jr., of Odenville, Alabama, succumbed to Covid on Sept. 23, 2o2o. Photo credit: CBS 42.

With sadness, we regret to report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another beloved educator and coach. Leo Davidovich, Jr., a middle school teacher in Odenville, Alabama, sucumbed to the disease on Sept. 23, 2020. He was only 47 years old.

Leo taught special education in a small group setting at Odenville Middle School in the St. Clair County School District. He had a reputation for reaching his students with engaging lessons that emphasized the development of functional life skills. He worked tirelessly to make his lessons applicable to his students, and he strongly believed students should be able to use the skills from his classroom later in life. “Leo was beloved by all his students at OMS,” recalled his wife, Cindy, “because his students knew how much he cared for them and loved them.”

In addition to his classroom responsibilities, Leo served as the Assistant Softball Coach for nearby Drew Middle School. He also coached travel softball and basketball. He was the Founder and Head Coach of the Thunderstruck Softball Team.

Leo was born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 28, 1972. He graduated from Mifflinburg Area High School in 1991. Later he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Lycoming College. Lycoming is a nationally-ranked private college located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. During his undergraduate college years, Leo was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) Fraternity. Leo earned his Master’s degree in Criminal Justice at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama.

Leo and his wife also owned a family farm in Lincoln, Alabama. Many of his days off from teaching and coaching were spent working on his farm.

To read more about Leo, click on the story about him at this link to CBS 42.