When you think of the ideal school teacher, you think of someone who coaches multiple athletic programs, teaches a surplus of subjects, and builds strong relationships with his players and students. You’d be thinking of special ed paraeducator Shane Bramble.
Shane Bramble is a teacher at this school, while also acting as an assistant coach for the varsity football team and a head coach for the varsity wrestling team.
Growing up in Montgomery County, he attended and graduated from this school where he wrestled all four years and also started to take a liking to football. To carry on his passion for the sport, Bramble wrestled in college before pivoting towards finding the right career path for himself. “After college, I got into electrical and soon after that the wrestling job opened up here and I took it,” Bramble said.
At age 23, Bramble also began his teaching journey as he started working at R.I.C.A or Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents. After five years of learning more about how to effectively teach and help kids who may be dealing with disability, Bramble made the switch over to teaching at this school. At this point, he also began coaching varsity football as well.
Even though wrestling has always been a huge part of Bramble’s life, coaching wasn’t always what he envisioned growing up. Brambled said, “I really wanted to start a business, I still kind of do, but life happens and I’m glad that I took the opportunity that was offered to me.”
One of the primary aspects of working as a coach or teacher is the connections and relationships that are built with students over time. One of Bramble’s players, sophomore Yesh Tafa said, “Mr. Bramble does everything he can on a week-to-week basis to give us an edge over the other team. He’s very competitive on top of the fact that he is also funny and caring towards us.”
Another student, sophomore Carter Morton, who wrestles for coach Bramble, said, “Coach Bramble has built a unique connection with all of us and it makes us as athletes feel that we can trust him and it gives us someone to look to in times of need.”
Bramble emphasized how important it was to him that you make the most out of a situation where you can take something that’s not good, and turn it into something that has promise and a good future ahead. “When I first started coaching wrestling we were pretty average, but last year we went 10-4 and made the playoffs, just like how it was when I went here,” Bramble said.
One key lesson that Bramble took away from his journey was that the biggest thing is that you have to give back to your community. Bramble said, “It’s very important for people who graduate from somewhere to give back because it’s only right since it molded the person you are today.”
