Being a coach can be challenging, yet rewarding at times. Here’s what it takes to be a coach at Weber High School.

Coaching is a really big responsibility. You must create an organization of pure learning and it must be executed to precision. These days, you have to seek the spark in every single player, find their potential, and then help them reach that and play to the best of their abilities. As coaches learn over the years, they get better and deserve more recognition than what they get. Knowing what it takes and how much of your time it occupies should be considered before you want to be a coach.

Starting with the coach of the girls’ basketball team is Clayton Jackson, a history teacher currently in his 13th season coaching, but just his second season as the coach for Weber High. He has coached just about everywhere. “I love coaching high school. I have coached junior high and high school and they both have their own positives and negatives.” Jackson always liked coaching, but did the age group matter? What about high school kids? “There’s definitely some difficulties, but that is really with anything. I always tell them that I wouldn’t trade them for anyone in the world,” he said.

“Seeing the kids that you used to coach grow up really makes me feel old. When you see that they are getting married and you are invited, it’s a really cool experience knowing that you had some sort of impact on them in order for them to remember you like that,” he said. He has a lot of memories, so he had a hard time choosing a select few. The best, though, are the relationships. “It’s definitely hard to pick, especially when there’s those memories where one of your players hits the game winning shot or winning really close games, but I think it’s more about having those relationships with those kids and seeing how it carries on throughout their lives.”

Jackson coaches because he “loves the environment and the game.” He adds, “I love seeing my athletes play to their full potential and grow over the season. I just love everything about the game, especially the team aspect of it. Seeing all five people on the court work together for one goal is an amazing thing to watch.” Last season, the Lady Warriors went 6-16 on the season and 3-11 in region. Despite the record, the girls grew as athletes, but even better people. Jackson is excited for his second season. Seeing if Jackson can coach his team back to a winning record will be a story to remember. Jackson looks forward to this season without COVID-19 because it gives the girls a chance to focus more on basketball than the pandemic.

Next is a coach that is relatively new. Relatively, meaning that he has coached at Weber High before, then he left, and now he has returned as the Offensive Coordinator for football and then will be the head track and field coach for the Warriors in the spring.

Connors was a football coach for Weber High back in 2013, now he is coaching his team to what looks like a great season so far. Connors has been around coaching for just over a decade. A long time, but with a lot of experience and memories. His best coaching memory? Connors took a second to think and even mentioned that this was “very tough,” but he finally said, “Probably my favorite would be coaching the Sugar Bowl with The University of Utah. To be able to beat Alabama and get after them a little bit, it was something fun to be a part of. Just the whole experience of being there for seven days and working with great players that eventually went on to play in the NFL, it’s pretty hard to beat that.”

Growing up, Connors was very involved in athletics. “Football, basketball, baseball and basically anything that was competitive. Mainly just those three, though,” he said. He is currently coaching on the offensive side for football, the side that he has always been on. Playing the quarterback position for his whole life, he definitely knows how to manipulate defenses and see their weaknesses. The Weber Football team won the region on October 7, 2021 after beating Davis High School by a score of 35-9.

Aidan Carter, junior, has been right by Connors’ side all season long. Starting senior quarterback, Jake Lindsay was injured in a game against Olympus and he was ruled out for the rest of the season. When Carter got his chance against Davis, he took it. Going 17/26 and throwing for 269 yards in a very wet game, Carter was able to do this through his abilities, but also being coached by Connors. According to Connors, the best part about being a coach is “just the ability to work with kids and have some sort of impact on them that you wouldn’t normally have.” He added, “You really have the ability to positively impact these kids and show them that they can have an impact on others around them. The whole growth and development process are awesome to see.”

Connors has also been named the head track coach for the 2021-22 season. “I’m very excited for this upcoming season,” he said. Connors will have his hands full with all the activities involved in track, from sprinting and hurdles to discuss and high jump. Being an athlete and sports junkie by nature, Connors is excited to be around more of Weber High athletics to help the student-athletes grow and develop in their unique ways. “Judging from the season you guys had last year, we are going into the spring with a lot of great athletes and momentum,” he said.

As seen, coaching is not entirely about being smart, but being able to connect with the players that you are coaching. Yes, you teach them not only about the game, but the way they can handle themselves and how they can succeed in life. Jackson and Connors both play this role very well and can do what they do best: coach.