(Michael Lancia is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Camelback High School for AZPreps365)

 

Jeremy Lord knows all the ins and outs of what it takes to work with studentsin the classroom as well as on the field. In his 22 years of teaching special education, Lord has covered classes ranging from elementary school up to 12th grade.

Now working in his seventh school district, Lord has experienced it all. He has been exposed to students living in inner city areas to an Amish community, ranging from small schools to larger schools.

 

“My favorite part is every year it is a new challenge,” said Lord. “The nice thing with what I do is if I get bored or stagnant and don’t feel like I’m being productive, I can always switch jobs or go to a different school because I know it is a high demand field.”

Lord is one of six coaches at Camelback who also teach in the ESS program, which is developed to teach and engage with students who have disabilities ranging anywhere from emotional to physical. They are not your typical educators.

“I really got into it mainly because I felt very fortunate with the life that I grew up with,” said Lord. “I know there are a lot of kids out there, especially young males who don’t grow up with a good male role model, and I felt like maybe I could help fill a hole in that void and help steer some young men into a positive direction.”

At Camelback Lord has quickly taken on a large role as the head JV football, head girls track and girls soccer coaches in addition to teaching special education.

Transitioning from sports to the classroom, the message to his students remains the same.

He encourages the students to do their best and work hard and create achievements they can be proud of.

''I don’t put pressure on the kids to do it right. I don’t care if they do it right or wrong,” said Lord. “If you work hard and you practice at it, you’re eventually going to get it and do it right. That’s what I like to see, whether it’s on the field or in the classroom.”

Even though Lord has been teaching for 22 years, he is still learning about himself through his students. “I have learned a lot of patience,” said Lord. “If a kid is giving attitude I try to always figure out why this kid is behaving this way and try to help the kid out and let them know I understand.”

Lord’s main goal is to create memorable and positive experiences for his students and athletes throughout their high school years.

“It’s not always about winning and losing,” said Lord. “I don’t remember how many games I won or lost in high school, what I remember is hanging out with all of my teammates.”

The level of commitment and dedication Lord has for his students and for his career is a reflection of his resolve to make a lasting impact on their lives.

“I think teachers who are drawn to the ESS world have a certain amount of patience and empathy, which translates very well into the coaching world,” said athletic director James Arndt. “We have six ESS teachers who are also coaches, we love having them in those positions. They know how to be flexible and work well with the kids, which is really good.”

Lord’s time teaching and coaching will continue as long as one thing remains-his fulfilment for what he does.

''I have lasted this long because I enjoy what I do,” said Lord. “I enjoy the kids, it’s hard to believe that I have been doing it for as long as I have, but this was kind of my calling in life I guess. As long as I enjoy what I’m doing then I’ll keep doing it, and I’ll tell that to anybody.”

Growing up, Lord fell in love with sports at a young age. “My dad was a high school coach, so I really grew up in a locker room,” said Lord. I went to all the games with my dad so if I wanted to spend time with my dad, I was in the gym.”

Lord played sports growing up, whether it was for leisure or competition. Golfing with friends, hitting the tennis courts, kicking around a soccer ball and playing high school football and basketball are just a few of the extra-curricular activities participated in. With a childhood filled with endless sports memories, Lord had always wanted to pursue a career in sports broadcasting.

Through his college basketball years, Lord developed a passion for coaching and his future ultimately was decided by his roommate’s father, a principal who advised him to get into teaching. He believed the best way to get into coaching would be through teaching.

It has now been over two decades since Lord landed his first teaching job at an Indiana elementary school, where he taught ESS for fourth, fifth, and sixth grade classes.

Although excited to enter a career that can be so impactful to children, Lord did not like teaching lower grade students. His next career destination brought him to an Amish community in Indiana with about 800 students.

He taught middle schoolers from an upper-class background, and eventually found himself burned out. Lord soon found himself at another Indiana school, this time a high school. He worked with students who had emotional disabilities and difficulties transitioning to a normal school setting.

Some of those students were coming out of jail with criminal records, including murder, or were pregnant. “I had kids getting literally right out of jail and they had to transition from my class into the regular classroom,” said Lord. “I had to deal with kids getting out of jail, different rival gangs in my own classroom, both boys and girls. It was very challenging.”

A year later Lord was on the move once again to a more inclusive situation, although still in Indiana. He was able to coach basketball at a higher level.

Before he knew it, Lord was heading west due to his wife’s job relocation. With such a high demand for special education teachers, he had no issue landing a job. Boulder Creek High School in Arizona was Lord’s home for the next nine years. He coached girls softball and boys JV and varsity basketball and founded the badminton program. As the JV basketball coach, Lord encountered a dilemma. A special education student who had already been cut freshman year tired out again his sophomore year.

“It was the hardest cut I’ve ever had to make because I loved the kid,” said Lord.

Instead, Lord made him team manager to keep him involved. Little did the kid know, Lord had something special planned for him. Toward the end of the season, Lord added him to that game’s starting roster and led the team to the court. At the end of the half, a movie like moment occurred as the player drilled a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

“I still get goosebumps thinking about it,” said Lord. “It was a real special moment.”