Being a Gulliver Raider means putting some things ahead of yourself, and finding things that are bigger than yourself. It’s understanding that we represent ourselves with respect and pride, and always trying to achieve excellence and be the greatest versions of ourselves.
I’ve coached at several different schools. Gulliver, I believe, is the fifth high school that I’ve coached at. One thing that stands out immediately is the commitment level – both from the athletes and the parents — is incredible. A lot of times, it’s a joint venture. Parents are willing to support their children, and the folks coaching them are just as dedicated. And then there’s the environment itself; whether I’m coaching or someone else is, we’re all trying to encourage each other, and that really stands out here.
Relationships at Gulliver grow naturally. Coach Hossam, who’s now our head coach, was an assistant when I first got here, and I was a head coach somewhere else. We developed a relationship to where now I work essentially for him; It’s really special. Coach Sims is like my mentor — as a coach and in life, every day I’m looking for words of wisdom from him because he inspires me in so many different ways.
With students, relationships are built individually; there are some very unique coaching relationships I’ve had here that have lasted decades. The connections at Gulliver are organic. It’s not something the school facilitated — it’s the people the school attracts. Those energies find each other. You’re in the same spot, sharing ideas, realizing there’s a real relationship with someone, and it just grows on itself.
Watching my son, Julian, at Gulliver was one of the most blessed times of my life. I got to have the best seat in the house to watch him do what he loves, which is basketball, while knowing he had great coaches — Ray Allen, Hall of Famer; Hossam Marquez, the new head coach at Gulliver; Rudy Johnson, two-time Sweet 16 player at UConn. I did very little instructing him because I knew I didn’t have to. That allowed me to still be dad in those spaces without worrying if he was getting coached correctly. I just trusted the environment and the staff.
At the end of the day, it comes down to trust — in the coaching staff, in the school, and in my son. He was at the age where I trusted him to use all the resources here, and I trusted the coaches guiding him. I just had a front-row seat to watch it all happen.
