Apex High School has gotten some new staff members this year! I was able to have the pleasure of interviewing the new basketball coach, Coach Rodgers.

1. What is your name?
2. • My name is Ryan Rodgers.
3. Where are you from?
   • I am from Cary, North Carolina. 
4. Are you single or married?
   • I am married, and this year we will be going on twenty years. 
5. Do you have any children or pets?
   • I have one pet named Boss and two children. One is a junior at Cary High School, and the other is a 7th grader at East Cary Middle School
6. What did you do prior to coaching at Apex High this year?
   • I previously was at Apex Middle School for the last nine years. While I was there , I coached basketball, softball, and football, taught health and physical education, and was also the Athletic Director. 
7. What made you want to become a teacher/coach?
   • I’ve always enjoyed playing sports, and my original degree was Parks and Rec, but it wasn’t as fun as I thought it would be. I thought it would be more fun to be able to interact with kids instead of just doing the organizational aspect of it all. I had coached a little in college and decided to go back and get my teaching certification. I have now been doing it for twenty years. 
8. What are some of your pet peeves?
   • My biggest pet peeve is talking while I’m talking. I have a million different things I could put on that list, but talking while I am talking is definitely number one.
9. What were you like as a student? What advice would you give to students that you think is important for them to know?
   • I imagine that when I was a student that I was a pain; I probably wasn’t the easiest to deal with. I had teachers reach out to me, and I still look back on what they said because it makes you think about how you can change and affect kids down the line.
   •  I think that it is important for students to know that they should enjoy their time right now because it is some of the best times of your life. It seems stressful at times, but the stress doesn’t get any better as you get older.
10. Who is, or has been an inspiration to you?
    • My mom is my biggest inspiration. Her approach on life and things like that are things I’ve always been fond of. 
11. What was your most memorable moment as a teacher?
    • Having kids come back to see you, after you’ve taught and coached them, is the best. Whenever kids come back and they want to see you at practice, or in the locker room, or anything like that is a great feeling. It means that you’ve impacted them in someway beyond the wins and losses. 

I would like to thank Coach Rodgers for doing this interview with me and wish him and the basketball team, the best of luck for years to come at Apex High School!