Few educators have more opportunities and authority to impact their students than coaches.
Dallas ISD’s Athletics Department wants its coaches to maximize their ability to help students excel. That’s why the district’s 900 coaches and athletic coordinators are gathering this week to get the entire team on the same page regarding their mission and potential to shape the students they serve.
This Friday, August 7, the Dallas ISD Athletic Department will host a back-to-school teambuilding event at Emmett J. Conrad High School for all the district’s athletic leaders. Director of Athletics Gil Garza says the event is meant to inspire and inform.
“The takeaway from this meeting is what it means to be a coach,” Garza said. “We want to communicate the message that we are here to serve, grow and work with our students and to open the school year with high expectations for what our students can achieve on the field and in the classroom.”
Last school year, a third of the district’s high school valedictorians and salutatorians were scholar-athletes, a record Garza said is evidence that the district’s athletic program is headed in the right direction. He hopes that this year’s athletes can surpass this record achievement.
To start the year on a high note, the coaches’ meeting will feature a talk by Duke University sports psychologist Dr. Greg Dale, a frequent speaker on the relationship between coaching, athletic performance and student success. Dale is expected to share practical strategies to help coaches build confidence and inspire excellence in their students, work effectively with parents and develop leadership.
