ROCKWALL (November 10, 2013) Unprepared for the interview, I rehearsed my words while driving to the high school. My family’s future rested on this final meeting. No teaching contract, no income, and we’d lose everything. After finally discovering that educating teenagers was my path, there was but one obstacle: to teach, I must coach. It […]
(ROCKWALL – October 26, 2013) A Goliath Catfish has been spotted in Rockwall. Not a mysterious Chernobyl-grown, bottom feeder or a freakishly big Flathead, but the young adult novel penned by Rockwall teacher and coach, Scott Gill. Goliath Catfish is set in 1940’sMemphis and tells the story of Albert McClune, a big kid who longs to restore his […]
(Rockwall) October 24, 2013 – Gene looked like a Halloween costume, and when he stole that jack-o-lantern off some folk’s porch, they just stared; didn’t blink an eye. The gag must’ve seemed like part of his getup, like it made sense for someone so odd to run down the street with a flaming pumpkin. I […]
(ROCKWALL – Sept. 18, 2013) A Goliath Catfish has been spotted in Rockwall. Not a mysterious Chernobyl-grown, bottom feeder or a freakishly big Flathead, but the young adult novel penned by Rockwall teacher and coach, Scott Gill. Goliath Catfish is set in 1940’s Memphis and tells the story of Albert McClune, a big kid who longs […]
(Rockwall) August 25, 2013 – On a particular day toward the end of the August, Starbuck’s is stormed, ladies line up for lattes and there’s not an open table in the house. The chatter is so loud, the baristas fight to hear the orders (I was once a barista). There’s laughter, the air electric from […]
(Rockwall) July 30, 2013 – A friend texted a few weeks ago: “Interested in co-ed softball? We’re putting together a team.” He was crazy; a decade had passed since my last men’s league game and 41 is a far cry from my spry 30’s. The wake-up-sore-how-the-heck-did-I-hurt-that- feeling greets me each morning so I half-heartedly chuckled […]
July 8, 2013 – Two of my boys and some friends started a summer contest: the most fish caught by August 12, and the winner receives a new fishing rod along with the Twitter handle, “@TheAngler.” The one rule is they must all be fishing together for the catches to count. No one owns a […]
June 27, 2013 – Christy busted in my classroom too excited for schoolwork. Paris would be her summer destination. “Paris,Texas?” I asked. “Paris, France, Coach,” she giggled – although to me, Paris, Texas, sounded pretty good. The class erupted in vacation plans: Brittany was visiting her family’s beach house in Galveston while Charlie would deep-sea […]
(Rockwall) June 23, 2013 – My students clamored for summer break, having whined and begged for free days once Christmas ended (an exercise in futility… I give no free days, ever). After a year of higher standards, grueling tests and lackluster results, this class cleaned out their locker, turned in lingering assignments, and became freshman—another […]
The rod doubled and the reel sang as the shark darted and dove to the deep. After fishing for days on aFloridapier, I had hooked a monster, and my Dad coached and cheered above everyone. I was nine when I carved out this memory with my hero. He’s a mere shell of a man now, […]