Mr. Walsh is a beloved teacher at ANHS who balances the roles of head coach of the XC team, assistant coach for track and field and teacher of biology to freshmen students.
He had not always known he wanted to coach and teach; in fact, Mr. Walsh originally wanted to be an astronaut. He grew up in Colorado, where the Air Force Academy is located, and he planned to attend the academy and become a pilot in order to achieve his end goal of becoming an astronaut. However, his vision forced him to consider another career path.
Mr. Walsh went to the University of California San Diego and earned a bachelor’s degree in biology. He was thinking about working a marine science job or possibly pursuing a master’s degree in genetics.
As a college athlete, he represented his university by teaching PE to an elementary school without a standing program, sparking his enjoyment of coaching and teaching. When Mr. Walsh returned home in the summers and ran with his former high school team, he was asked by his coach to help the athletes with their academic performance.
Due to those experiences during college, Mr. Walsh realized that he wanted to become a teacher, yet he did not start coaching as he was very busy with his personal athletic accomplishments.
Mr. Walsh said, “I was not coaching initially because I was doing my own competitions and I felt I couldn’t really give them the time that they needed.”
He was forced out of competitions, against his will, when he was hit by a car while biking. With his newfound free time, Mr. Walsh started coaching inline hockey, a sport he played when he was younger. Despite the hockey club being shut down fairly quickly, it reignited his passion for coaching from which he has never looked back.
The XC coach approached Mr. Walsh and asked him to join as an assistant coach. The following year, he took over as head coach when the former one stepped down and he remains there now.
Similarly, Mr. Walsh was an assistant coach for track and field until the head coach stepped out, when he assumed the role of the new head coach. After five years in the highest position, he realized he wanted to spend more time with his family, so he chose to return as an assistant coach.
Throughout his life, Mr. Walsh has had many people who inspired him to lead the life he has now. His track and cross country coach at Esperanza High School, Rich Medellin, was a major positive influence in his decision to coach. They continue to talk when they compete against each other today.
Mr. Walsh also cited Mr. Moore, a teacher at Esperanza whom he greatly admires. He even visited him on one of his last days of teaching before he retired.
When asked how his job differs between coaching and teaching Mr. Walsh said, “If the student is motivated and they come into my class and they want to learn about biology and they’re genuinely interested in the subject, then I can approach it just like kids that want to come out and run.”
Sometimes he has to try harder to get students interested in his class, so they understand the importance of learning and the study habits they will need in the future. On the other hand, the athletes he coaches usually require less outside motivation because they want to be there.
