By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

Portage Sports proudly introduces its new series called “Coaches in the Classroom.”

MIKE DEVIES

The series celebrates coaches throughout Portage County, who spend their days in the classroom leading today’s student-athletes to be tomorrow’s leaders.

Today’s spotlight is on Waterloo High School’s Mike Devies who is in his 10th year as the district’s athletic director, Dean of Students, physical education teacher, football coach and track and field assistant.

• School district?: Waterloo Local Schools.
• How long have you been employed there?: 10 years.
• Classes taught and/or position held?: Elementary physical education, currently Dean of Students, Athletic Director, head football coach and assistant track coach
• What made you want to become an educator?: My father. He was a teacher and counselor at West Branch Local Schools and coached football and track at various stages of his career.
• What is your favorite part of your job?: The connections with students and staff. I cannot think of anything more rewarding than watching a young child mature into a caring, compassionate adult.
• What have you learned about being an educator that you didn’t know before you started?: The struggles some kids deal with on a daily basis. I tell everyone that I wish I could have been the Dean of Students to start my career, because I would have served my students in a more efficient and empathetic manner.
• Which teachers influenced you to go into education?: Obviously, my father Gene Devies, my algebra teacher, Wendy Williams, and my high school physical education teacher, Dave Williams.
• How do you apply some of your coaching to the classroom?: Education is a process. You need to develop the basics before you can advance, whether it is academics or behavior.  Patience, patience, patience.
• How do you apply some of your classroom to your coaching?: Everyone learns in different ways. We try to take a student-centered approach to our coaching. Some guys are film guys, some are old school pen and paper (like their old coach) and some guys are tactile learners.  We try to change the way we teach things to meet everyone’s needs.
• Funniest thing that has ever happened to you in a classroom?: Mr. Streeter came into the gym one time and I had an entire class that tackled me and were hanging all over me. He just laughed and turned around and walked out. Also Kaira English and Lilly Foster thinking they could beat me in dodgeball!!!!
• Mentors in your building who have helped you along the way?: My old crew of Matt Dockery, Keri Dennison, Denise Dean and Nichole English. Never a dull moment with those guys. Also, Angela Terella was a big influence on me as an educator.