Educator of the Year
Coach Joe Aviola


When I think of the title “Educator of the Year” I immediately thought it was about a certain schoolteacher you had in your life. So I had two teachers in mind, one was my 8th grade science teacher, Mrs. Wood, who made science really fun and exciting and made me want to choose a career in the science field. The other teacher that came to mind was my 7th grade math teacher, Mrs. Maloney. Before, I hated math and never wanted to walk into a math classroom, but Mrs. Maloney really made me enjoy math, and I had a lot of fun in her class. That’s what I think is one of the main things teachers need to do, make their class fun for their students, make them excited about their class and to even get a student to become interested in that topic to continue studying later in life. When I was told I could nominate a school coach for this award, I knew right away the man I wanted to pick. My high school football coach, Coach Joe Aviola. He gave me a chance and made the season a fun and great one. He made me more excited for football then ever before and made me want to work even harder at achieving my goal of playing football at the next level. That’s what I think educators should do for their students, and Coach Av really had that effect on me.
I was only a freshman, but I met Coach Av before the season; I never knew how much of an impact he would have on me. I’m also pretty sure coach Av had no idea how much of an impact I would have on the team that year. A new coach meant I had to prove myself all over again and work harder then everyone else on the field to get myself known and to earn a spot. Coach Av did what a lot of other coaches wouldn’t do, and that was give a freshman a shot to start on varsity. Not only start, but start the first game of the season in one of the most important positions on the field, quarterback. That’s one reason why I liked and appreciated coach Av; he gave me a shot when I know most coaches wouldn’t, and made me the player I am today. He pushed me and motivated me to play better and made me want to be the best I can be, and help lead my team to victory.

Another reason why I liked Coach Av so much was he really cared for his players and wanted the best for every single one of them, no matter if you started on varsity, or sat the bench for JV. He really cared about us and wanted the best for us. He would joke around with us and make practices fun, and if we needed any help with anything on or off the field, he gave us his number so we could text him. His door was always open for us to go in and talk to him. He made sure everything was good with your grades because he stressed that grades came first and that no matter who you were, if you had bad grades, you wouldn’t be allowed to play. He cared about us just like we were his own kids, and I think that’s why we all loved him even more.

Lastly, Coach Av believed in me, and all of us. Coach Av believed we could do it all; he believed that we could prove all the people wrong that thought we were just a one hit wonder and a team that can’t play with the big dogs. He believed in me, no matter how many mistakes I made, that I could bounce back, keep my head up, and go back out on the field to prove myself. He expected that out of me. The first game I started I threw two interceptions in the first half. But Coach Av didn’t bench me or say I wasn’t getting any more shots; he told me to keep my head up and go back out there and lead the team to its first win of the season. I made many more mistakes through my first high school season, but Coach Av never gave up hope for me. He was always telling me what to do or how to fix a problem then sending me right back out onto the field. Coach Av believing in me throughout the season really helped me get through the toughest games and he kept my confidence up. He made me a better player by believing in me, and he made me want to pursue my dreams.

“Educator of the Year” I think fits Coach Av and so do a lot of other titles I cannot put into words. He did what I believe a great educator should do to all his/ her students. He made football fun for me; he made me excited for everything involving football from the practices in the rain, to the huge wins on game day. He also believed in me all my other teammates, and cared for every single one of us. He also gave a unexperienced freshman a shot to play with big boys and didn’t care about my size or the experience just the fact that I could play. That is why I believe Coach Aviola deserves the “Educator of the Year” award.