Walking into Coach Flores’s class feels like you’re walking into your older brother or dad’s room. Being greeted everyday with a firm handshake and being able to have a normal conversation with your teacher makes you excited to show up to class.
Alic Flores is a first year teacher of U.S. government and football coach.
“I wanted to coach here because I found out Coach Price was the Athletic Director here. I wanted to coach with someone who coached me,” Flores said. “Ever since I graduated, I wanted to be here.”
Flores said he was encouraged to become a coach here by a peer of his.
“I knew one guy I went to school with, and he would tell me in this district the principals are cool, the kids are cool, the people are cool – ever since he told me that I’ve been looking forward to coming to Leander,” Flores said. “Two years ago I applied here and it didn’t really work out, so every year after that I tried to get here. I really like the Austin area and it’s somewhere I wanna be.”
Flores also talked about his love for teaching and coaching and seeing his students and athletes see their training and work come to fruition.
“I think the best thing is honestly doing drills and seeing the athletes start to understand why we do the drills. It blows their mind how the drills actually correlate to the game,” Flores said. “And it’s the same thing in the classroom, we could practice whatever we do in the classroom and they finally understand why something happened and it kind of blows their mind. Whenever a kid says ‘oh, now I get it’ that’s something that makes me really grateful for being a teacher and coach.”
Flores also shares how he prefers being a coach over a teacher and how he forms special bonds with his athletes in and out of the classroom.
“When I have students that are athletes in the classroom, I know them. I’m with those students after practice for hours – we’re here from 12:00 until I get home at 6:30,” Flores said. “Those relationships I build with them, I wouldn’t say they are more special, but there’s more time spent there than I am with my students. Those relationships that you get to build inside and outside of the classroom are special.”
Flores’ said he is passionate about giving back to his students and athletes.
“Everything I do is for the students,” Flores said. “I try to be as selfless as possible when I’m in these buildings. It’s just a good experience being here.”
