By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

The “Coaches in the Classroom” feature is a weekly series that spotlights and celebrates coaches throughout Portage County, who spend their days in the classrooms and hallways leading today’s student-athletes to be tomorrow’s leaders.

Today’s spotlight is on Crestwood High School’s Brittany Dye, who is in her first year as the district’s athletic director and previously coached girls basketball and volleyball from 2010 to 2018.

BRITTANY DYE

• What made you want to become an educator?: Crestwood athletics had a positive impact on me as a student athlete, so I wanted to give my community the same support that I received when I was a student at Crestwood.
• What is your favorite part of your job?: Watching the athletes in competition as well as practice. I love when there are multiple events, and I get to zip around on the golf cart to all of our facilities and watch multiple sports teams.
• What have you learned about being an educator that you didn’t know before you started?: Education (and athletics) are changing so rapidly. There are so many different ways to learn and train and it seems like every day there is a new trend.
• Which teaches influenced you to go into education?: So many! Mrs. Felter, Mrs. Bullock, Mr. Snook, Mr. Vaught. I was fortunate to have great coaches who inspired me as well: Wanda Hoffman, Greg Cowan and Leroy Moore.
• How do you apply some of your coaching to the classroom?: Well I am not in a classroom setting per se, but my time coaching has prepared me to help the coaches and athletes at Crestwood. I try to be honest, transparent, listen more than I talk and learn and get better everyday. I realized that this is the first time since I was a young kid that I have not been playing on or coaching a team. So I am going to treat this opportunity as a chance to lead a different type of team.
• How do you apply some of your classroom to your coaching?: Coaching is teaching. That is what Dr. Roxanne Sorrick told me at Hiram. Build relationships, make people feel valued and then break it down little by little. Some of my best moments as a coach were when we outplayed opponents who may have had better athletes, but our training and gameplan was better. Sports are so mental.
• Funniest thing that has ever happened to you in a classroom?: I worked as the athletic secretary about 8 or 9 years ago. We used to have an issue with students hanging around the gym when they were supposed to be in class. So one day when I was trying to get the students out of the gym, they said they would go back to class if I made a 3-pointer. I think I was pregnant, too, so their expectations were low. Needless to say, I sunk the shot. They rolled on the floor with laughter and shock. Then they went to class.
• Mentors in your building who have helped you along the way?: Truthfully, the biggest help so far has been my secretary, Holly Tayerle. Holly is knowledgable, hard working and has a passion for Crestwood. All the coaches have been warm and inviting. Other Athletic Directors who are not in my building have been very helpful, including Randy Tevepaugh (Streetsboro), Matt Paul (Kirtland), Keith Waesch (Rootstown) and Troy Spiker (Orrville). Our Superintendent Aireane Curtis was also a big reason why I took this job. I believe in her vision for the district.