Behind every team lies a coach. Through victories and defeats, coaches are there with words of wisdom.Although they have dedicated their lives to sports, coaches find a way to balance their career with there personal lives.

“It’s a tough decision,” Softball coach Rosemary Rhodes said. “It’s what you want in life. Of course nothing is more important than your children, but there has to be some balance between family and work.”

Despite the difficulty in balancing family and work, Rhodes said interacting with athletes and their families are her favorite aspects of being a coach. Voted most athletic in high school, Rhodes said her love of sports motivated her to be a coach.

“As far as a commitment, I do have to put in a lot of hours to prepare the girls,” Rhodes said. “I can’t put a number on the hours I spend coaching. I love it so much that there’s not a number for me.”

Rhodes said counseling and teaching athletes life skills are the unseen aspects of her career. According to sophomore and softball player Sabrina Reyes, she has learned many things from Rhodes.

“I’ve learned everything from her,” Reyes said. “She’s taught me everything from fundamentals to respect. She constantly tells us to thank our parents because without them we wouldn’t be where we are today. She’s very dedicated. I don’t think there’s anyone else like her.”

According to football coach Frank Grimm, his high school coach’s dedication and love of sports inspired him to become a coach.

“I probably had the best high school coaches around,” Grimm said. “They allowed me inspirational time and were like a family to me. I saw that they enjoyed what they were doing, and when I had an opportunity to coach, I followed in their footsteps.”

During football season, Grimm works long hours, but the games provide him an opportunity to be with son, football coach Andrew Grimm.

“It’s a great opportunity to watch him grow as a person and a coach,” Frank Grimm said. “He’s a great inspiration. I try to learn more from him than he does from me.”

Andrew Grimm said prioritizing his time with his family can be challenging, but enjoys sharing his passion with students.

“Being a coach is huge time and energy commitment, especially during football season. We are at the school seven days a week, 90 hours a week,” Andrew Grimm said. “I really enjoy working with students and athletes. I guess I hope that I can be a help to them to get a start in life.”

Senior Roland Leal said both Andrew and Frank Grimm were his mentors throughout his high school sports.

“They always told me to try hard and give 100 percent,” Leal said. “I can really tell they love what they do. I want to thank them for all the hard work they put into me.”