Teachers inspire athletes throughout campus
Amongst the busy schedules, long hours and tiring weeks, teachers at Newbury Park High School [NPHS] balance so much more than just their daily classes. With over 2,000 students and 20 available sports teams at Newbury, there is immense room for overlap in teachers’ day-to-day lives when connecting with students. Sports culture at NPHS has grown incredibly strong over the past decade. There are so many crucial mentors and educators amongst the NPHS staff, but a large portion of them happen to also be directly involved with the increase in popularity of these sports.
Chris Soury is the Physical Education teacher, Associated Student Government [ASG] advisor and football coach at NPHS. Soury, an alumnus of NPHS, is extremely passionate about his position in students’ lives, “When it comes to coaching, it’s all about the team—the team, the team, the team. That philosophy is something I strongly believe in. My favorite part of coaching is getting our players to truly buy into that idea—to play for each other, trust one another, and commit to something bigger than themselves. When they believe in that, everything else starts to fall into place,” Soury said.
Team bonding and growth are at the core of his philosophy as a coach. “I want students to focus on getting better in at least one area each day. You can’t fix everything at once, but if you commit to improving one small thing during a class or practice, that progress adds up over time. Consistent growth in small areas makes a big difference in the long run,” Soury reflected.
As a teacher, he holds similar beliefs, advising school events and encouraging students to stay involved. “My favorite part about teaching is getting to know my students and watching their growth over time. It’s especially rewarding to see their confidence develop throughout the year—and for some, across all four years of high school,” Soury said.
Similarly, Marine and Earth Science teacher at NPHS, Stephen Svoboda, continuously develops an uplifting environment for his students, whether on the track field or in the lab. “I try to keep things positive and non-judgmental. I try to give both newbies and those more experienced similar amounts of my energy – that is sometimes different in class vs sports. Sometimes in class, it’s too easy to forget about the kids who do their work well and cause no problems and focus on the kids who need help too much,” Svoboda said.
Svoboda’s passion for education and development is what inspires his own style of teaching. “The desire and enjoyment I get out of learning more about both disciplines each year inspires me most. I’m a lifelong learner – it’s one of the main reasons I’m a teacher and a coach,” Svoboda said. Svoboda encourages his students and students at NPHS to seek out opportunities most of all.
Richard Kick, a mathematics and computer science educator, began his teaching career in grade school. “I started teaching when I was a ninth grader. The school made me take a course I had already taken. My teacher knew I had already taken the course [geometry], so my teacher said, ‘You take the other group of algebra students to the back and teach them algebra, and in return you will earn the geometry credit,’” Kick reflects.
Kick’s admiration for coaching and teaching comes from the impact not only he leaves on students but the impact they leave on him. “Every student has made an impact on me. That’s why I love teaching. It goes both ways, I always have these brilliant people that are doing amazing things, and it inspires me to put in effort,” Kick said.
These are only a few of the incredible teachers at NPHS who not only give their time to educate and care for students throughout the school week, but also donate their time and energy to coaching them as well. The passion and courage that goes into connecting with students reach beyond the daily interaction. “NPHS is about development, community, and finding where you belong. Take the chance and put yourself out there — you might surprise yourself with what you’re capable of,” Soury said.
