National Coaches Day is October 6

By Dennis Sullivan, Athletic Director

National Coaches Day is Thursday, October 6. We have over a hundred coaches at OES, but I often tell our parents and administrators that the foundation of our staff and our Athletics Program are our teacher coaches. Eric Dams and Lauran Pratt are our two longest-serving teacher coaches. As Physical Education teachers, they inspire our children to be active. Their classes are the highlight of the day for many. Remarkably, they coach all three seasons of the school year. Lauran Pratt coaches JV2 Volleyball, Varsity Girls Basketball and Middle School Track and Field. Eric Dams coaches JV Boys Soccer, Middle School Girls Basketball and Middle School Track and Field. I sat down with the two of them recently to talk to them about coaching at OES and more specifically, what is their “Why” for continuing.

How many years have you been coaching at OES, and is there a sport that you coached at one point in your career that you don’t coach now?

Lauran (above right): I have been teaching and coaching at OES for 32 years. I have coached basketball my entire time here, and I added volleyball and track and field for the last 20. I also coached Middle School soccer for two years.

Eric (above left): What?! No way. I have coached soccer, first in the Middle School and now in the Upper School for the last 17 years. I added Middle School girls basketball and track and field for the last 15 years. 

What is unique about being a teacher and a coach?

Lauran: We get to see a student’s potential in class and at camps. There have been many times when I try to recruit someone to try a sport. When Lauren Ninkovich (our current Varsity Volleyball Assistant Coach) was in 6th grade, I told her father that she should try volleyball and track. She did, and years later she was playing collegiate volleyball for Vassar College. 

Eric: As we teach different units in our classes, we see kids shine. A great example is current junior Kate P. I encouraged her to try basketball in middle school, and she was reluctant to do it.  After continuing to encourage her, she took the risk. As a sophomore last year, she was an important member of the girls varsity team that finished fifth in the state. 
 
You both have been coaching for a long time.  How do you handle the emotional ups and downs of winning and losing so many games?

Lauran: It is more about the kids improving and enjoying the process.

Eric: It comes down to a growth mindset. Kids put such an emphasis on which team they made, but often it is the kids who were on the B team who are the ones who move up to varsity.  

Lauran: Remember Alex O. ’17? He was crushed to not make the Middle School Boys A Basketball Team when he was an 8th grader. He wasn’t emotionally ready, but four years later he was an All League player, captain, and earned the OES Coaches Award.

Coaching and teaching at OES means long days.  Why do you keep doing this?  

Eric: You meet a lower schooler in summer camp or a new student in PE and you make these connections. You get to see them develop and find their passion. And the kids share how grateful they are. They appreciate the support in helping them grow as players and teammates.

Lauran: The kids. It is so rewarding and fun to watch their personalities develop. I have so much fun with them. Teaching and coaching allows me to combine my love of sports and working with kids.  

Eric:  It is all about the relationships. And I think, also, it is the competitive drive. I want my teams to be successful.   

I am so grateful to work with these two men. As the Athletic Director I can count on the fact that their work with young people is driven by the OES mission and they believe in the no-cut program that we have. They challenge our kids to grow and to be their best selves. When our kids struggle to do those two things, they have so much experience in inspiring young people to reset their ways and to learn from the tough moments. On October 6, take the time to reach out to one of your former coaches and say thank you. If you didn’t play sports yourself, feel free to tell your child’s coach, ”Thank you for all that you do!”