By Diane Lee
Staff Writer
Science teachers are sometimes stereotyped as braniacs, not star athletes.
Mira Costa biology teacher Roberto Calderon, however, has proved this wrong by accepting the job as the assistant coach for the boys cross country team this year.
Calderon joined coach Bob Fish to coach the boys cross country team this season.
“One of the coaches had resigned and I got recruited by my former students. Then Fish heard about it and he asked me if I wanted to coach cross country,” Calderon said.
Calderon started working with the boys team during summer practices and went to Mammoth with them for their annual summer training.
“At first he was not that comfortable around the team, but after a while we got to know him a lot better and he started to become more comfortable around us as a coach,” senior Jimmy Breen said.
Calderon has a strong background in cross country that began when he ran in high school. He also participated in and coached in the Students Run L.A. program, an organization that helps students prepare for the Los Angeles Marathon.
He feels that the students and coaches of cross country have been very welcoming.
“Parents have been really encouraging, students have been great and Coach Fish has been phenomenal to me,” Calderon said.
Overall, Calderon hopes that each team member will become a better runner by the end of the season.
“My favorite part about coaching is interacting with kids and running with them. I get to know them on a much more personal level,” Calderon said.
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