“What’s your sport?” Coach A. asked me during my first staff meeting after she’d made introductions.
I wanted to make a good first impression, but I’d never played a sport in my life. A longtime school nurse, I was thrilled to be teaching 9th and 10th grade health classes. But the new job had landed me in the Phys. Ed. Department. I’d left the sanctuary of the nursing clinic and sashayed into my first meeting wearing a flowy skirt and ballet flats. Everyone else wore gym clothes. To the coaches—my new colleagues—I was a visitor from another planet.
The question hung in the air as they eyed me with suspicion. In my teens, I’d been a cheerleader. And while I knew how to lead a crowd, I hid my ignorance of the rules of the game behind high kicks and fancy footwork. Would they consider cheerleading a sport? I didn’t dare ask. Instead, I shifted gears. “I’m a certified yoga teacher,” I told the group, hoping that would count.
The coaches shot confused looks around the table, coupled with a few snorts. They weren’t being rude; they just truly didn’t know what to make of me. These women lived to coach, churning out strong, female athletes at the all-girls school where we worked. Instead of first names, everyone was simply “Coach.” I was doomed.
But, as I settled into my new department, I soon learned that the coaches were every bit as caring as the nurses. They just had their own love language, usually in the form of motivational quotes. Staff meetings would end with Teamwork is what makes common people capable of uncommon results. If I was having a bad day, a coach would put a hand on my shoulder to offer, Just remember, it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.
Warm and fuzzy they were not. But, over time, the coaches showed some of the biggest hearts I’ve ever known. They had a positive mantra for everything, including my empty nest worries as my kids began heading off to college.
In coach-speak, they were teaching me to Handle Hard Better. I developed a new respect for sports and realized I’d missed out. Team sports aren’t just about sports. They’re about life.
A few years after my start as the health teacher, yoga and mindfulness began to be a common component of athletic training. The coaches became curious. Suddenly, I had something to offer their P.E. curriculum.
“What do you think about teaching a few sessions of yoga to students?” the department chair asked me. She was a rock-star point guard, and we’d established an unlikely friendship. Coach Horn had taught me the meaning of “box out” and “four corners,” along with what college team to cheer for. In exchange, I’d taught her tree pose and svanasana.
Needless to say, I was elated. I couldn’t wait for the opportunity to earn some physical fitness respect from this crew. I started teaching yoga segments in P.E. classes and was eventually hired to work with both the cross country and swim teams.
What followed was a staff meeting I’ll never forget. The latest shipment of varsity jackets had arrived, and Athletic Director Dayton handed me what would become one of my most cherished possessions. At the ripe age of 48, I received my first varsity jacket. On the front, written in dark blue script, were the two meaningful words: “Coach Page.”
I was officially one of them!
Like being knighted, the honor came with a title change. The coaches now called me “Coach,” too. From that point on, whenever I entered a room or passed another coach in the hall, I received a hearty knuckle punch along with, “Coach Page!” called out in acknowledgment. While I never could’ve predicted that my non-sporty self would be fist-bumping with tough jocks, it sure felt good.
I’ve since left the P.E. Department to refocus on my nursing career, but I miss these folks daily. I often wonder, if I’d understood the benefit of coaches in my life, would I have played a sport?
My guess is, probably not. I was destined to be a cheerleader nurse, not a baller.
I’m just lucky I ended up being a school nurse blessed with five years in a P.E. department, surrounded by some of the best coaches in the world.
Featured illustration by Michael Byers. This article originally appeared in the April 2025 issue.
