At Aliso, many teachers not only empower students through knowledge but also guide them through athletic endeavors. One example of this is teacher and coach, Mr. Colwell. He not only teaches world history to juniors, but also is the head coach to both the Girls Cross Country team and the Boys Wrestling team. In addition, he is also the assistant coach to the Boys Freshman Football team. 

“He knows a lot more than he lets on about sports,” said Nathan Nichols (12). Mr. Colwell started off his coaching career when he was in college for the Aliso Niguel Cross Country team. During this time he started to realize that he “really loved coaching and interacting with students” so much that he decided to switch his career to follow his ambitions of teaching. Ever since then, Mr. Colwell has been teaching and picked up coaching later once when he had moved back to Aliso Niguel High School. 

Mr. Colwell was inspired to teach history from his former AP U.S. History teacher. “He was really an awesome teacher and I really did well in his class,” says Colwell. 

Mr. Colwell believes that teaching and coaching are equally important. As he teaches, Mr. Colwell is able to grow his students’ minds while revealing new concepts they have not heard of before. As he coaches, Mr. Colwell says he builds his athletes more “athletically, physically, mentally and more as a person than just in an academic sense.” 

The most impactful coach that Mr. Colwell had was his highschool cross country coach, Tim Butler, who taught at Dana Hills High School. Mr. Colwell saw Mr. Butler as his mentor and now thirty years later as his friend. Mr. Colwell hopes to direct and grow his students and athletes just as Mr. Butler taught him. “This is why sports have been so important to me,” said Mr. Colwell. Throughout highschool, he learned from both academics and sports. 

Mr. Colwell pushes his athletes to the certain goals he has set for them. Nathan Nichols (12), captain of the Boys Wrestling team, agrees, “He said I would make state as a junior and I thought it was one of the most ridiculous things I had ever heard, but sure enough I exceeded my expectations and met his.”

Izzy Kerr (10), an athlete on the Girls Cross Country team, says that Mr. Colwell “pushes me to do my best, encourages me to keep going even when it gets tough, and has helped me reach lower times this season.”

When asked if Mr. Colwell has any connection to his athletes, he responded, “Oh, absolutely.” He believes that is why he coaches. It allows him to see his students in and outside of the classroom. Mr. Colwell says that as a coach and teacher, it is amazing to hear his former students come to him and tell him how their lives have changed as a result of his teaching and coaching.