In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, we at TGP wanted to highlight the essential role that middle school teachers play in the success of our programs. We asked some of our student-athlete coaches to talk about how the teachers of the classes they work with have helped their programs go well. These were their responses:
“Coach U was super supportive and passionate about Grassroots and tried to make sure kids were respectful. He let us DJ the last day which was super fun and he always let us do the TGP huddle and cheer at the end of each program even if we were running over time!” -Kelsey Oliver on Coach U
“Coach U was so helpful in getting the kids to participate in the program! He knows his students and their individual needs really well and he always knows exactly what to say to calm down kids who are acting up. Huge shoutout to Coach U for helping us make this semester at Kipp Will a success!” -Isabel Rose on Coach U
“I couldn’t imagine running my program this semester without Coach Reid. From our conversations before each session to his engagement both participating in activities and making sure the program ran smoothly, Coach Reid’s deep dedication and care for his students was amazing to see. Teachers like Coach Reid who form personal relationships with their students and make the extra effort to ensure their students’ success are not only essential to TGP but are the real difference makers in students’ lives. Here’s to all teachers like Coach Reid on this Teacher Appreciation Week!” -Jess Hagler on Coach Reid
“Hey Coach Prue, thanks so much for an amazing semester. I really enjoyed working with your students this semester, and I greatly appreciated your help and support throughout. Your kids clearly love you and they have so much respect for you. I hope to develop similar relationships with my students next year. Here’s hoping I get placed at Center City!” -Sophie Kershaw on Coach Prue
“Coach Prue, thank you so much for the time and energy that you put into Grassroots this semester. You were amazing at keeping the kids happy and engaged, and I know that this group will be incredibly hard to beat!” -Tommy Ruggles on Coach Prue
“Thanks Coach Prue for making my first Grassroots program so fun. Visiting your class every Tuesday morning was the best part of my week!” -Harry Sardinia on Coach Prue
