As the school day ends, many teachers pack up to go home. There are some teachers, however, who stay well after the 3:05 p.m. bell rings. Scott Bowen, head coach of the women’s basketball team and math teacher, is one of those who stay behind, as Bowen is a teacher and a coach, juggling both roles at once.

“I’ve never been just a teacher,” Bowen said. “I’ve always coached. I love both.”

Bowen is not alone. Many teachers here teach and coach at the same time, from every subject to every sport.

With the difficulties involved in coaching and teaching, such as less time to grade after school, it might be difficult to see why teachers do both. According to Tim Mylin, women’s track coach and chemistry teacher, the main reason is that they truly enjoy the sport.

“Coaches don’t coach for money in high school. The money’s not that great, but we do it because we love the sport,” Mylin said. “For me, track and field was my ticket through school and I got a scholarship to run at Butler University and between that and my academics, that paid for my schooling and I still compete and it’s kind of my hobby and my way of giving back to the sport.”

Bowen said he agrees with Mylin and also said many teachers coach to help students reach their goals.

“I think most teachers that are coaches got into the profession to help kids. (I enjoy) working with kids and helping them become better at what they do,” Bowen said.

Being a coach has many advantages for teachers, according to Mylin and Bowen. They said that they can take the knowledge of how to coach and apply it to the classroom when they teach.

“One of my biggest strengths as a math teacher is being able to use some things that I’ve learned in coaching because not everybody gets it one way, and in math there’s alternate ways. (The) same thing (is true) in basketball; sometimes (there are) alternate ways to get kids to understand something, and (the) same thing (holds true) in the classroom,” Bowen said. “I’m going to try to do everything I can if somebody doesn’t understand one way we’re doing a problem. I’m going to try two or three different other ways to make them see how to get the end result.”

Regardless of the connection between the teaching styles of the Mylin and Bowen, sophomore Emily Schloneger, student of Mylin’s and a runner on his track team, said there is one big difference between coaching and teaching. According to her, student motivation is a key factor in how teachers or coaches train their students.

“In sports, the kids choose to be there, whereas in class, a good majority of the kids don’t want to be there,” Schloneger said. “In this case, a teacher has to come up with interesting ways to teach, so the kids will enjoy their class.”

According to Mylin, there are similarities between coaching and teaching. However, he said there are many differences as well.

“In some respects, the two are similar, but when you’re coaching a kid, you’re trying to get them physically fit and ready to perform at a high level when they compete. In class, you’re trying to get them mentally fit and performing at a high level. Now there is a mental aspect of training too, but in terms of similarities, you’re prepping them to get ready for that ultimate test whether it be a written test or an athletic test on the field,” Mylin said.

Schloneger said she agrees with Mylin’s sentiment. According to her, Mylin’s teaching style is better because he coaches.

She said, “He can make things seem easy when, in truth, they should be hard.”