As coach of the English Academic Team at Central High
School, Mr. Russell doesn’t fit the usual mold of a coach for our coaches’
corner. But his students are competitors, and they work very hard at what they
do. So we decided to go outside the lines this month and ask him more about
what he does.
GT: Tell about your
background; when and where did you begin teaching?
RR: I began teaching at Mater Dei here in Evansville in the
1986-1987 school year. I taught freshman mostly, with one sophomore advanced
composition thrown in for flavor! At the end of my second year there, I was
approached by the department chair at Central High School, whose wife was
department chair at Harrison High School where I completed my student teaching,
about an opening at CHS. Mater Dei was kind enough to let me out of my contract
and I moved to EVSC in the 1990-1991 school year. I have been teaching at CHS
since that time—20 years.
“I wanted to be the next Cecil B. DeMille…”
Please describe your
experience as a coach and mentor (with regard to both drama and the academic
team).
My experiences as a coach in the drama were pretty wild at
first. I had no rider on my license to actually teach drama or to coach drama.
However, I had some stage experience at Vincennes University, where I attended
in the early 1970s, and that was good enough for EVSC. I learned as I went,
making many mistakes, as well. I was so naïve and I guess I wanted to be the
next Cecil B. DeMille as I chose HUGE productions with as many students
involved as I could manage. You know, with huge chorus numbers and big casts?! My
first show was Camelot. Geez! Can you
imagine?
As far as
academic team, this is easy as pie. I do not have to work with the students as much
because they are self-motivated to learn and compete. I mostly provide the
material for them and help them individually with questions concerning the
material. We receive very little recognition for our efforts in the academic Super
Bowl competitions; however, we are proud of ourselves. I recognize my team all
the time by telling other classes how well we are doing. Now, they ask the day
after a competition to see how we fared. I encourage all my students to attend
the fine arts programs and even give extra credit to those who do. I give extra
credit to those who participate in the programs, as well.
What parallels are
there between coaching an academic team and coaching an athletic team?
As far as parallels between academic, fine arts, and sports
coaches, many of the same veins run throughout all three. All coaches prepare
their teams as much as possible for the next meet. Coaches work to overcome
problems within the team. Coaches demand respect and work ethic. I think the
big misunderstanding from those outside the coaching world or just the world of
high school is that people do not know that students are often involved in many
cross-curricular activities. I have certainly had my share of football players
who were great performers in the musicals.
When it comes to
competition – other than winning – how do you define success?
We all know it feels great to WIN! Seriously, I believe that
any team is successful if the participation of students leads to a feeling of
accomplishment. Often when students would hit a sour note on stage or forget a
line or two, they would beat themselves up over it later. I tried to explain to
them that no one knew but them so why did it matter? They knew. It mattered to them. They wanted to be the very best
they could be and I think that applies to sports as well.
Please relate a brief
story or description of a young competitor under your tutelage you’ll never
forget.
That would have to be Chad. This geeky little freshman boy
wanted to be in the stage crew and help in any way he could on Camelot. I allowed him in, knowing what
a squirrel he was. Sure enough, during a teaser in the school auditorium, I
received a call that I was needed back stage because of an emergency. It seems
that Chad and another goofball were fighting with large staplers and Chad had
one impaled directly into his collar bone. We sent him off to the emergency
room and had it removed. When Chad returned, he was admonished pretty good, and
I allowed him to work on the fall play as a stage hand.
One afternoon,
I noticed he was working with the cast on some scenes instead of painting or
driving nails into something. I asked him if he wanted to audition for the next
musical as a sophomore. He was quick to explain that he was more comfortable
behind the stage rather than in front of it. I was not to let it go. When
auditions came around the next spring, I kept after him to at least try out. He
said he could not sing—he was right. The kid couldn’t carry a tune if it were
strapped to his back. But I saw something in his eyes that lit up when he
watched other kids on the stage. I took a big chance and cast him as Harry in Brigadoon. He did not have to sing
because this character did not have a solo, just a speaking part (he did a
Scottish brogue fantastically). He was terrific! He was involved in every
production from his sophomore year on and thanked me many times for having the
confidence in him to allow him to take part in the shows. I sure hated to see
him go.