School coaches, who are often teachers, get paid for every sport they coach. Without the sports seasons happening right now, that extra income is not making its way into the coaches’ paychecks.

    Varsity girls volleyball, varsity girls basketball, and varsity tennis coach Wendy Feight-Edmonds says that with the lack of income from coaching and “spending so much time at home, [she] is saving money in other areas.”

       Edmonds commute to school is about 40 minutes one way, so “not putting the miles on [her] car certainly helps.” She also mentions how her family is all eating at home since she is there to prepare their meals.  She adds, “this is not only a monetary saving but [they] are eating much healthier.”

       In addition to eating healthier, Edmonds’ family is doing curbside pick-up for their groceries. She feels they are “spending less because [she is] not adding things to the cart like [she] would if [she] were physically in the store.

       Varsity field hockey coach Carla Harward says she is fortunate that the lack of income hasn’t impacted her daily life, her family hasn’t done anything that would warrant spending the extra income due to the pandemic.

      Both Edmonds and Harward haven’t done anything to make up for the lack of extra money coming in. For Harward, it’s due to how much time she spends doing virtual learning, so she hasn’t had time. 

       Harward states “not coaching has been sad, and I have missed the season, players, and coaches during the fall.” She also mentions how she especially misses her seniors, as she may not have a final season coaching them, but she is hopeful that there could be a shortened season in the spring.

      Edmonds believes “most coaches will tell you that we don’t do it for the money.” Additionally, she says she misses sports and the interaction with her players and fellow coaches. Edmonds states she “truly feels for the seniors.”

       Edmonds talks about how for her being a teacher at the middle school, she doesn’t “always know what happens after [we] leave NHMS. However, with coaching [she] has the pleasure of getting to know [us] outside the classroom setting.”

       Edmonds states how “it’s pretty awesome watching you grow into amazing young people working so hard to achieve your goals and chase your dreams.”

       Athletic Director Timothy Larrimore said the “good news, coaches [will] be paid.”      According to Larrimore, for the 2020-21 school year, they will all be paid in full.  Fall coaches will be paid in April 2021, winter coaches in February 2021, and spring coaches in June 2021. 

 The spring 2020 coaches were paid in full. He explains that “HCPS decided to pay coaches through the pandemic as they have with other workers that are not able to work because of the pandemic.”