When math teacher JD Marchand was a kid he was always good at math and knew he wanted to become a math teacher. But another dream of his was to be a baseball coach.
Marchand played multiple sports when he was a kid. “I don’t really know why I chose to play baseball when I was a kid, my dad is French and I don’t think he understands baseball still. I just had a really strong arm as a kid,” Marchand said.
Marchand played third and first base along with the outfield throughout his youth and high school until he transitioned to catcher when he was playing in college. After he became a teacher, he briefly taught and coached baseball at Kent County College before coming to this school and coaching both JV and varsity football teams and then eventually started coaching baseball. “I didn’t really have anything that drew me toward coaching at Wootton, I just wanted to coach where I taught and I knew that the baseball program here had been solid but football had been struggling so when I was asked to coach I was more than happy to,” Marchand said.
Marchand has grown a community for the baseball team and is valued as a coach. He loves seeing the players change each season especially when they go from freshman to sophomore as that is usually the biggest growth. “Coach Marchand is someone who cares for his players and strives to help them on and off the field. He teaches us to compete and to get the most out of ourselves and others,” sophomore catcher Kai Schmelzer said.
As for the classroom, Marchand has also grown a community there. He loves seeing the kids grow in the classroom, when they go from grade to grade and eventually as they ask him for college recommendations. “He is very understanding and always there if you need to talk to him,” freshman Hunter Humphries said.
This year, Marchand is teaching Honors Pre-Calculus, but in the past, he has taught geometry, algebra 2 and other math courses. Math is a subject that requires a lot of time for grading and planning, and Marchand believes in taking one thing at a time, especially during baseball season when he has practice or coaching a game. “It’s certainly difficult during the season when I have to go to practice or a game right after school and it’s often hard to get things done especially with two kids and a wife, but I just make sure that I plan everything and follow it,” Marchand said.
At the end of the day, Marchand is a person who students and athletes alike can rely on. Whether it’s help on the diamond or in the classroom he is always willing to help. “He’s calm and will always help you when needed, school-related or not,” Humphries said.
