Mike Szalat

People assume when a coach leaves, something went wrong. Sometimes everything went right. That was my problem. Both my girls' and boys' programs won District. Then we won Area. Then we qualified for State in six events. On the outside, a dream season. Meanwhile, in my real life, I ended up in a doctor's office. The doctor looked at the blood pressure reading and said, "What are you doing to yourself?" 164 over something. I don't remember the bottom number. I remember his face. I was sleeping maybe four hours a night. Coaching 120 athletes by myself because my assistants were tied up with off-season sports. No conference period. Two math preps. Practice before school and after school. I never saw my family. I left. Not because we were losing. Because winning was costing me everything and there was no path to changing things the next year. The school I'm at now has the best staff I've ever worked with and admin that supports me as a coach and as a person. I'm very grateful. 🙏 That's not just luck. That's a decision I made after learning what happens when you don't protect yourself first.

A growing number of teachers are reporting that their students have no passions, no interests, just “eat, sleep, phone.” We’re losing even the very notion that a person can find joy outside of screens.