Tag Archives: Athletic Coaches

Teachers who are also athletes and/or coaches.

Teacher, coach, and Columbine hero Dave Sanders

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Dave Sanders

Author Terry Lee Marzell examines plaque honoring slain educator Dave Sanders at the Columbine Memorial in Littleton, Colorado. Photo Credit: Hal Marzell

While visiting the Denver area in 2018, I had the unique opportunity to visit the Columbine Memorial which honors the innocent lives lost in the Columbine High School massacre. There I paid homage to Dave Sanders, a truly heroic teacher who lost his life during the shooting.

Dave was born on October 22, 1951, in Eldorado, Saline County, Illinois. He was the youngest of five children. Sadly, his father passed away when Dave was only four years old. Following his father’s death, the young boy was raised by his widowed mother in Newtown, Indiana.

Even as a youngster, Dave excelled at athletics. Known for being a consistent and dependable player, he participated in basketball, baseball, and cross country. After his 1969 graduation from Fountain Central High School in Veedersburg, Dave enrolled at Nebraska Western Junior College in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, where he earned his Associate’s Degree. He then transferred to Chadron State College in Chadron, Nebraska. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Education from Chadron in 1974.

That same year, Dave accepted his first teaching position at Columbine High School in an unincorporated area of Jefferson County, Colorado, near the Denver suburb of Littleon. There he taught business classes, including typing, keyboarding, business, business law, and economics. He also worked with other teachers in the Business Department to organize career days and arrange for guest speakers to visit classes.

Dave Sanders

Chalkboard Hero, teacher, and coach Dave Sanders. Image  courtesy of Conie Sanders

But it was as a coach that Dave truly excelled. Early in his career he coached boys’ baseball, basketball, cross country, and soccer. In his later years, he coached girls’ basketball, softball, and track. In 1995, Dave’s girls’ softball team reached the Class 5A state finals, and the same year, his girls’ basketball team qualified for a coveted berth in the annual Sweet 16 Tournament. “His ability to coach was not so much about his ability to do the sport, but about his ability to analyze the mechanics of the sport, the kinesiology of it,” colleague Joe Marshall once described. “It didn’t matter what he coached. He coached kids, he didn’t coach a sport. He truly devoted himself to the athletes,” Joe continued. In addition to his coaching responsibilities for Columbine, Dave and his colleague, Rick Bath, coached basketball camps, softball tournaments, open batting cage sessions, and a B league girls’ softball program during the summers.

Dave’s career as a teacher and coach spanned 25 years. Tragically, this outstanding educator and coach was shot and killed on April 20, 1999, when two students carried out a mass shooting at Columbine High School. During the massacre, the intrepid teacher organized an evacuation of the area, led a group of approximately 200 students to safety, and warned unsuspecting teachers and students in other classrooms of the danger. He is credited with saving at least 200 lives that fateful day before he succumbed from his gunshot wounds.

For his heroism, Dave Sanders was honored in 1999 with the ESPY Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award. The same year, he was recognized by the National Consortium for Academics and Sports with the Giant Steps Award for Male Coach. You can read more about him in my second book, Chalkboard Heroes.

CA’s Robert Brooks: Teacher, veteran, and outstanding athletic coach

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Outstanding high school athlete Robert Brooks of Southern California went on to teach and coach at the high school level, and then became an excellent athletic coach at UC Davis. Photo Credit: Legacy.com

Many outstanding high school and college athletes go on to become excellent coaches and teachers. One of these was Robert Brooks, an outstanding athlete from Southern California who went on to a stellar career as a high school and college coach for wrestling, rugby, track, and football.

Robert was born in August, 1931, in Chino, California. As a young man, he attended Chino High School where he excelled as an athlete. He lettered in football, basketball, tennis, and track.

After his high school graduation, Robert attended Mount San Antonio Junior College in Walnut, California, where he played football. In 1949, his team captured a state championship, and Robert was named Player of the Year. In 1951 and 1952, the outstanding athlete attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he played football.

Once Robert earned his Bachelor’s degree, he enlisted in the US Navy and was sent to Pearl Harbor. There, while stationed on the submarines USS Green Fish and USS Caiman, he played football for the Navy between his tours of duty. His team was crowned the Island Champions and played in the Hula Bowl versus the College All-Stars from the mainland.

After his discharge from the service, Robert returned to UC Berkeley and earned his Master’s degree in Education. He inaugurated his career in the teaching profession at Miramonte High School located in Orinda, California. There he served as the Head Football Coach, an Assistant Coach for the track team, and wrestling. His stint at Miramonte spanned five years. During these years, he also played rugby on a team that won a National Club Championship.

In 1962, Robert left the high school to accept a position at UC Davis as an Assistant Coach for football and track. In 1964, he founded the school’s rugby team, and from 1967 to 1990 he coached the Davis wrestling team.

For many years, in addition to his work with college students, Robert also worked with younger athletes. In the 1960s, he hosted a summer camp for children in foster care, pairing each child with a student mentor from Davis High School for a week of adventure in the Sierra Mountains. Beginning in the early 1970s, Robert also participated in the Davis Kids Summer Sports School program. For the program, which ran for ten summers, he taught wrestling and football. He even drove a bus to transport the kids back and forth to camp.

Robert Brooks, a true Chalkboard Champion, passed away in March of 2022. He was 91 years old.

 

Teacher, coach, and former Olympic athlete Josanne Lucas

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Former Olympic athlete Josanne Lucas now teaches high school science and coaches track in Colorado. Photo Credit: quilt.com

Many fine athletes go on to become outstanding teachers and coaches. One of these is Josanne Lucas, a former Olympic athlete who now works as a science teacher and coach in Colorado.

Josanne was born on May 14, 1984, in the city of Carnbee on the Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago. She was 18 years old when she came to the United States to attend Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. In addition to earning a degree in Biomedical Sciences there, she also trained as an athlete in track and field.

Josanne showed exceptional prowess in the hurdles, particularly the 400-meter hurdles. She earned a first place finish in the event in 2006 in the NACAC (North American, Central American, and Caribbean Athletic Association) Under-23 Championships held in the Dominican Republic. She garnered another first place finish in 2008 in the Central American and Caribbean Championships held in Columbia. Later in 2008, Josanne competed in the Beijing Olympics. The following year, she won a bronze medal in the World Championships for Athletics held in Berlin, Germany. She competed as an athlete until 2016, and as a professional athlete for nine of those years.

Once she retired from the sport, the former athlete turned her attention to teaching and coaching. Today, she teaches science courses at Fort Collins High School in Fort Collins, Colorado. She also coaches track and field, specializing in hurdles, at the school. She obviously enjoys her role as an educator. “I love the opportunity to make a positive impact on young minds both academically and athletically,” Josanne says. “I love to challenge my students to be the best that they can be in both, in and out of the classroom.”

In 2019, Josanne achieved one of her most fervent goals: To become an American citizen. She was naturalized on August 24 that year. “I feel blessed and honored to become a US Citizen,” declares Josanne. “I have lived here my entire adult life and already consider the United States my home,” she says. “I like its democratic system and that it provides many opportunities,” she concludes.

 

Indiana’s Herb Banet: Teacher, counselor, coach, athlete, and veteran

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When I think of Chalkboard Champions, I never forget all of our nation’s talented coaches. These dedicated professionals work many long hours with our young people, teaching them the value of self-discipline, healthy competition, fair play, and teamwork, and helping them to choose a healthy, active lifestyle. One such Chalkboard Champion in Herb Banet, a high school teacher, basketball coach, and guidance counselor from Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Herb was born in 1913 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. As a high school student, he was a gifted athlete.  At 6’2″ and 200 pounds, he earned All-City Honors in both football and basketball. After his graduation from Fort Wayne South High School in 1933, he attended Manchester University in North Manchester, Indiana, where he played collegiate football. While at Manchester, Herb played All-Conference Football and All-State Football in 1934, 1935, and 1936. During the 1937 season, Herb played in the National Football League with the Green Bay Packers.

As if all this were not enough, Herb was also a war hero. When World War II broke out, he served his country in the US Navy.

These experiences served him well during his eighteen-year career as a coach at Central High School in Fort Wayne. While coaching there, his team made one trip to the Final Four in 1960, where they were defeated by just one point by East Chicago Washington. Later in Herb’s career he served as a guidance counselor at Northrup High School. This talented educator retired in 1979. In recognition of his illustrious career as an athlete, he was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.

Herb Banet passed away in 2003 at the age of 89 years of age. He is buried at Falls Memorial Gardens in Wabash, Indiana. It is certain that his efforts as a gifted teacher, coach, and counselor will always be well-remembered.

George “Sonny” Franck: Teacher, coach, athlete, and US veteran

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Minnesota’s George “Sonny” Franck: Teacher, coach, athlete, and US veteran. Photo credit: National Football Foundation.

Many fine classroom teachers were once successful athletes. This is true of George Franck, a popular Minnesota educator and coach who enjoyed a career as a professional football player before he became a teacher.

George, who was more often called Sonny, was a high school teacher and football coach, first in Oklahoma City and then at Rock Island High School in Illinois. He retired after 25 years as a professional educator in 1978. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota and his Master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma.

But before he became a Chalkboard Champion, Sonny was a halfback in the National Football League, playing for the New York Giants. It was a success story that surprised the humble Iowa boy, who had a reputation in high school for being scrawny but tough.

Sonny became an all-state end for his alma mater, Davenport High School, and led the school to a state track title, anchoring an 880-relay unit that set a state record. After graduation, he was recruited to play football and run track at the University of Minnesota, where he became a starting halfback in 1938. He led the Golden Gophers to a national championship in 1940, his senior year. That season, Sonny was named an All-American, All-Big Ten, and the Most Valuable Player of the College All-Star Game. Academically, he earned the Big Ten Medal for scholarship and athletics. In the Heisman Trophy voting that year, Sonny placed third, and then he was drafted into the NFL in the first round in 1941. That’s when he went to play for the Giants.

Sonny was also a WWII veteran. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Empire of Japan, he served his country in the US Marines, joining as an infantry officer and completing a tour of duty on Iwo Jima. While there, he saw Jack Chevigny, a football star for Notre Dame, killed in action. Sonny eventually became certified as a fighter pilot and served aboard the USS Hornet. A recipient of nine battle stars, he narrowly escaped death when his plane was shot down in the South Pacific in 1945. When the war was over, Sonny resumed his professional football career, playing for the Giants in their 1946, 1947, and 1948 seasons.

Sadly, George “Sonny” Franck passed away from acute leukemia in January, 2011, at the age of 92. But throughout his career as an educator, he was a genuine Chalkboard Champion.