Celebrating National Coaches Day
"I felt like coming back to the place that put me in a position to be successful."
Reagan High School Head Volleyball Coach Rachel Torvik can teach you all you need to know about bumping, setting and spiking. But for her, the game is bigger than that.
"That is the cool thing about high school athletics; it's not just about winning a state championship. We want our kids to be better humans, better students and better athletes -- in that order."
She learned that philosophy on the volleyball courts of Madison High School as a student. Her coach was former North East ISD Athletic Director Karen Funk, who taught her that athletics are bigger than the games.
"It's about getting them to win in the game of life – long term – and finding ways to deal with pressured situations utilizing a game with a ball and a net to be successful later in life."
That philosophy isn't just her way… it's the NEISD way. From PE to volleyball, football, softball, track, and every sport in between, NEISD coaches strive to not only help our students become better athletes but also work to make them better humans. The connections our coaches make often live on well past the playing field and graduation. North East students who have gone to play at the professional level usually credit their coaches here, and many still keep in touch with them. Coaching is more than a career path -- it's a calling, and a calling Torvik is happy to answer.
"You only live once, and you give your best, and you put all your effort into it, and you are exhausted at the end of the day, but we know we are giving back to what we are passionate about and our why, and that's really to be here for these kids. So if I can show them I can be a volleyball coach and a math teacher and a sponsor and a mom, then the sky’s the limit for them long term."
October 6 is National Coaches Day. We want to thank all NEISD coaches who provide our student athletes with more than just playing time.
If you want to thank a NEISD coach for their impact on you, we've made it easy. You can send them a Staff Shout Out, and they will be notified how much they mean to you.