Teachers having to plan lessons, grade papers, and teach several different classes sounds hard enough, but with the added task of coaching a team, it takes an extra dedicated and balanced individual to do so.

In a recent interview with Boys Cross Country Coach, Mr. Sean Banasiak, and Boys Football Coach, Mr. Christopher Beedie, both teacher coaches answered questions about juggling teaching and coaching.

Specifically, Mr. Banasiak said, “The biggest struggle I have with balancing coaching and teaching is making time for my personal life.” He also added that he’s “learned to make good use of any free time.”

Mr. Beedie added that if he doesn’t drink enough coffee then his busy schedule becomes difficult, but he figures “there are these chunks of time at night where I am just asleep, so I might as well stay busy during the day.”

With a lot of hard work and long hours involved in doubling up on teaching and coaching, Mr. Beedie said, “The relationships I am able to build with my students, players, and colleagues, as well as the growth I see in my students at Nazareth over the course of their four years here make it all worth it.”

In addition, Mr. Banasiak said, “I love to see students overcome obstacles,” and that “There is nothing like feeling the excitement of an individual or team after they have achieved goals for which they’ve worked so hard.”

Both Mr. Banasiak and Mr. Beedie were high school athletes themselves, and Mr. Beedie was also a college athlete. Given that, both of them had a desire to become coaches and to carry on their interest in sports to positively impact others.

The two of them are also both Chicago sports fans. Mr. Banasiak is a big White Sox fan and Mr. Beedie is a Chicago Bears fan.