Teachers can be a mystery to students. The only time students see them is when they’re at school, but what do they do when they aren’t teaching? 

On warm spring days, Latin and geometry teacher Dyami Hernandez can be found outside playing ultimate frisbee.  

Ultimate frisbee is a growing sport in the United States, it has been described as a mix between soccer, football, and basketball. It is played on either soccer or football fields, with seven players on a team. 

The rules of ultimate frisbee are simple. Players throw a frisbee back and forth down the field in an attempt to get to the endzone, but they cannot run with it. Unlike most field sports, ultimate frisbee doesn’t have any kind of umpire or referee. All players must know the rules and trust each other to make the right calls when fouls are made. They call this having a good spirit. This is an aspect of the game that Hernandez enjoys.

“It’s a fun sport and it takes a lot of skill,” said Hernandez. “Ultimate is one of those sports that is self-regulated, so there is an expectation that everyone is playing in good spirits.  Everyone is just doing the best they can in a fair manner.” 

Hernandez got into ultimate frisbee because of his sister. His whole family plays the sport now, including him, his girlfriend, both of his sisters and both of their husbands. Hernandez recommends ultimate frisbee to anyone interested in playing. 

Hernandez isn’t the only teacher involved in the world of sports outside of school. Jennifer Buchholz is a reading specialist for Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency (KRESA) and she is a figure skating coach outside of her job. Buchholz started skating when she was a kid. She skated on Western Michigan University’s team while she went to school there. 

Buchholz became involved in coaching after she was asked by another coach to teach for the skating program focusing on kids called “Learn-to-Skate.” Coaching has allowed Buchholz to reconnect with skating like when she was younger. 

“I would say that’s kind of the cool thing about coaching,” said Buchholz. “It’s allowed me to reconnect with something super-important to me.”

One reason Buchholz encourages people to start figure skating is that it’s a good way to meet new people in the community. 

“Skating isn’t a school sport, so it gives you a different place to go,” said Buchholz. “I would say that’s really unique and that’s one of the reasons I would encourage people to start.”

Balancing sports and teaching can be difficult. Teaching in a high school is a commitment. Teachers frequently think about their students and stay after to tutor and help those who need it. 

For coaches spending this extra time at school can interfere with the time that they need to spend with the students they coach. 

“As your students become more serious, your time becomes more and more serious,” said Buchholz. “Your athletes are there and you want to be with them.” 

Balancing teaching and sports can be difficult for students and teachers. Playing or coaching sports allows teachers to reconnect with things they enjoyed when they were younger and can help them meet people in the community.