AAASP: Tell us a little about yourself and how you became a coach of the team…
John David Walker: My name is John David Walker and this is my 10th year teaching at Clarke Central High School. I have taught grades 9-12 as a special education collaborating teacher in math classrooms, a direct math teacher, and a computer science teacher. I have been thinking about coaching for many years. When I saw this coaching opportunity, I was excited to get involved. I had a little experience playing wheelchair basketball from my first year teaching, so I already had an appreciation for adapted sports.
AAASP: What is your coaching philosophy?
JDW: My coaching philosophy will be to encourage others to be their best selves. I am very excited about the upcoming season! As this is the team’s first season, I am looking forward to seeing how the team encourages one another.
AAASP: What do you like to do when you are not coaching?
JDW: When I am not coaching I am studying to advance my computer science credentials or reading for fun. One of my favorite books is Never Finished by David Goggins. A couple of my other favorite books are Catch-22 and Le Miserables.
AAASP: What is your favorite sport?
JDW: My favorite sport would have to be running. I used to think running was just not something I would ever be good at, but then I started running with someone who (I didn’t know it at the time) happened to be an ultramarathon runner. He helped me see running in a different way.
AAASP: What is your motto?
JDW: “Have fun!” I pursued my coursework when I was in college because it was fun, and I teach because there are so many fun moments where I get to talk about subjects that I enjoy.