Long before they were teachers, these wildcats were athletes: competing, sweating, working and learning the traits that characterize who they are today. Today we primarily think of teachers as academically-gifted, but many of them developed their identity on the field, court and track. These athletic experiences continue to affect how they connect with students today, teaching lessons that continue to influence how they support and relate to students today.
Mr Vangene
Growing up, Jeff Vangene first immersed himself in the sports of both football and baseball. In football, he played running back, while in baseball, he played catcher. He pursued these sports due to a genuine passion he had as a child.
“I played them growing up,” Vangene explained. “And I was probably interested in them because my dad played them.”
Being an athlete required responsibility and discipline for Vangene, who had to balance the grind of sports with his academic workload. This taught him important lessons which he still carries today.
“I think that nothing is ever given to you,” Vangene said. “Whether it’s going to be sports, academics, or anything else in life, it all comes through with hard work, practice, and dedication. If you want to do well, you’ve got to practice.”
Today, his competitive mindset is still seen in the ways in which he carries himself in the classroom and the advice he gives to students.
“I’d say the biggest advice for students is to make sure you are involved in a sport because you want to be involved,” Vagene noted. “Make sure it’s something you want to do in your life where you can sacrifice time and show commitment.”
Mr Zenoni
Like Vangene, Brad Zenoni has also found a passion in sports. In high school, he primarily did water polo and swimming, due to his love for being in the pool. For Zenoni he encountered many successes while playing.
“We had a really good swim team,” Zenoni stated. In the spring we’d just go to these two high schools and dominate, which was really a high point for me.”
Additionally, Zenoni also attributed his best moments not just to the wins and losses, but also to the connections he built.
“For the high points, It was just spending time with teammates,” Zenoni said. Forming those kinds of bonds with teammates that I am still in contact with even today.”
Zenoni also learned many important lessons from his playing days, especially the importance of hard work and discipline which he still carries with him today.
“There’s really no shortcuts around hard work. There’s the formula that really just is straight up hard work and dedication which always outweighs the shortcuts that are there.”
Drawing from those experiences and lessons, Zenoni offers similar advice to his own students now. He emphasizes the need to play a sport based on a true passion and not just for the need of boosting college applications or playing sports that you feel are being forced upon you.”
Ms Metzcus
For Monique Metzcus she initially pursued the sport of softball before making a switch to volleyball due to her desire to play indoor. She soon found success, making her stick with the sport.
“They recruited me because I was one of the tallest girls in high school,” Metzcus stated. “So I tried out for the volleyball team and ended up making it. So I ended up playing and our team won districts.”
Her success continued and she even ended up getting a scholarship at a university to play volleyball. Throughout her journey she learned valuable lessons that have shaped who she is today.
”My dad told me to never quit in the middle of something,” Metzcus said. “And I have never quit at anything ever again.”
Today, Metzcus is a gym teacher, and she aims to pass on the same athletic lessons she learned in high school to her students today. She tries to help them develop a love for sports like she once did.
“It’s never too late to try. When I went out for volleyball, it was junior and senior year only, and I was thinking I would not make the team, but I did, and I ended up getting a scholarship,” Metzcus explained. “ It’s never too late. Don’t think you have to start your freshman and sophomore year.”
Mr. Nichols
Brian Nichols, a current PE teacher at Dougherty Valley high school has been aligned in sports all his life. In high school he was a multi-sport athlete playing football, basketball, and his main sport, baseball, where he played varsity all four years and soon became very accomplished.
“I was MVP of the league as a freshman in baseball” Nichols recounted. “And then I just got better and better from there and then I went to USC on a full scholarship for baseball.”
Nichols indeed, had many high points during his baseball career. During his junior year at El Street High School, his baseball team won the state championship in 1993 and are considered to be one of the best high school teams in California baseball.
From his success as an athlete, Nichols has taken away key lessons that shape who he is today.
“You have to get along with teammates.” Nichols said. “And you have to work hard, a lot of people think they work hard but they’re not.
Nichols also looks on to pass lessons that he has learned to other students at DVHS stressing the importance of working hard and enjoying what you do.
“Not everybody’s going to be a varsity star, so just practice as hard as you can. You don’t have to be a superstar to have a good experience with sports. You could be the guy that never plays and can still help the team through practices, so don’t have any regrets. Just practice and play hard.”
Who we see these teachers have been shaped due to the experiences from sports that they still carry with them. The discipline, confidence and teamwork they have learned, are lessons that they hope to deliver to other students in the classroom. By embodying the heart of a wildcat, each of these teachers hopes to continue their legacy by inspiring future athletic participation.
