The excitement in the air is palpable as football players scramble to clam their cleats on, eagerness and determination condensed into one overbearing sense of accomplishment as their practice commences. Before them stands the new assistant football coach, Mr. Rolando Garza, ready to start the season anew with a fresh mindset and a strong will.
Although Mr. Garza only officially started teaching last year, he has been pursuing education for around four years. Having served as a student assistant coach alongside playing football for Texas Lutheran University (TLU), Mr. Garza became well-acquainted with the coaching scene. Drawing on his collegiate-level sports experience, he is an assistant coach for football, basketball, and softball, with a classroom placement in physical education.
“I’ve been coaching [football] for a while,” Mr. Garza said. “I played football in high school and college, so I’ve always been a football guy in general, [but] another reason I got hired was the graphic design side of things.”
Mr. Garza prides Westwood on its accommodations for balancing teaching and coaching. In his previous school, he taught Advanced Spanish III, finding the course far more hectic in comparison to Westwood. Mr. Garza, looking for a new home, was immediately enraptured with the school’s great sense of community and heart, resonating deeply with his personal values.
“The kids are great. I’ve already met pretty much every football parent,” Mr. Garza said. “They all invest a lot, and it makes a difference not only in our lives [as coaches], but also in the kid’s lives.”
To Mr. Garza, teaching means bringing lifelong values and meaning into the classroom setting. He endeavors to make a lasting impact on his students, aiming to provide the support he wished he had in his childhood.
“Growing up, I had a couple of really good examples and a few really bad examples of coaches,” Mr. Garza said. “The spectrum of the two got me interested [in coaching]. The really good coaches kept me around, which gave me the guidance and structure I needed.”
Outside of the confines of academia, Mr. Garza pursues his hobbies, fluidly combining his graphic design skills and his passion for coaching. His Instagram, a dynamic portfolio, displays strong examples of artistic ability, brimming with designs and photography of football. By fusing art and athletics, Mr. Garza continuously encourages innovation on and off of the field, illustrating his dedication to the sport and commitment to nurturing his creative hobbies.
“During the season, it’s a little impossible to [balance art and coaching], but during the off-season, I go [all out],” Mr. Garza said. “[I indulge] in whatever it is I enjoy.”
Thinking ahead, Mr. Garza plans to further his career, aiming to rise to the role of athletic director. He hopes to instill qualities of understanding and confidence in all of his players — and although he’s only now beginning his journey, Mr. Garza has high expectations for what tomorrow will bring.
“I really enjoy [teaching],” Mr. Garza said. “The good coaches I had were patient, understanding, funny, and relatable, and that’s what I try to be, to an extent, with my students. I think [my values] really show in my interactions with the kids.”
