I woke up at 4:30 a.m. for my first JV football practice during the summer of 2024.  It was my sophomore year and I was placed on the junior varsity team after having a great season on the freshman squad. We finished 8-1 with high expectations for our class. I had never woken up for a morning practice before, and I had no clue who the JV coach even was.

After stretches, I heard a loud, scary voice screaming at me to hurry up to his station. It was coach Sean Bright. That is how Coach Bright was on the field. As a defense, we kind of saw him as a bad cop, the enforcer of the coaching staff, or “that” coach.

Even though he could yell and scream, I quickly learned he is one of the nicest people I had ever met. Throughout the sophomore season, he helped me grow not just as a defensive player, but as an overall better person by always being available to talk and answering any of my questions no matter what the topic was. During the offseason heading into the junior season, he always pushed me to be the best.

My junior year I was moved to offense because we needed depth on the varsity level. At first, I was relieved. I expected I would do great and it would be way easier than defense. 

I was wrong. 

I was bad on offense. I didn’t understand blocking techniques, it was hard for me to remember certain plays and I wasn’t getting it. One of my practices I messed up very badly, and I walked to the sideline with tears falling down my face. 

The one person who checked on me was the one person I least expected – Coach Bright. He immediately hugged me and I started to repeatedly say, “I just don’t get it.” The one coach who is known for screaming at us players like we were prisoners on some occasions, hugged me like I was a teddy bear.

On the day of our last varsity football game, Coach Bright called me into his classroom and whispered, “This offseason, I will do everything in my power to have you back on defense.” A weight immediately lifted from my shoulders.

Hearing that just built me up and has led me to work as hard as ever this offseason. Heading into my last season of football and back on the defensive side of the ball, I feel more confident than ever on the field and off. I’m grateful for Coach Bright, who won’t make anything easy, but he will always care, fight for and push all of his students and players to greatness.