Coaches and teachers are the kind of people who are the most influential in students’ and athlete’s lives. For this teacher, and former coach, his actions play a major role in students’ motivation on and off the field/court.

Brandon Brown was a coach for 25 years and is now in his third year of being a teacher at Fredericksburg High School. He has made an impact at high schools across the state through his team success, and the influence he had made in players’ lives.

“I coached football for the longest time, but I also coached basketball, track and field, baseball, softball, and golf,” Brown said.

Brown said he had learned many things from his students and surrounding coaches, and he continues to learn through his teaching career. He said his most enjoyable experiences while coaching consisted of building strong relationships with kids, and being able to coach athletes to their full potential.

“ Some important things I remembered to tell myself were, #1: Where are these kids going to be 5 years from now? How can I help them reach their goals, and be successful after high school? #2: It’s not about what the athlete can do for athletics, but what athletics can do for the athlete. It’s important for the kid to learn, and enjoy through their athletic experiences,” Brown said.

Brown said that he makes sure that his kids are motivated not only in their athletics, but in their academics. He states that keeping them motivated to reach their goals would help them be more successful in the future.

“Motivation is different for every athlete,” Brown said. “If you have a kid who wants to go play college sports, as a coach it is important to let them meet those college players, or see a glimpse of what it’s like to play college sports, so they will stay motivated to play. If you have an athlete that doesn’t have a desire to play in college, it is important for us to make sure the kid is having fun playing their sport and is learning a lot out of it.”

It was very important to him as a coach to inspire athletes to pursue goals they put in front of themselves.

“Now that I am just teaching I really enjoy getting to spend more time with my family in my free time, and now I get to just focus on getting my students ready for their next step in life,” Brown said “Something I have introduced in the classroom is character building, which includes lessons about attitude, gratitude, and success.”

Character building has helped kids develop valuable life lessons, and things they will need to pursue their goals.

“I love building relationships with my students, and athletes, and I hope to continue to help them find what their true passions are,” Brown said.