Coaches Profile: Owasso’s Coach Poteete
By Ian Busking
Coach Poteete is one of the newest additions to the Owasso coaching squad. Poteete came here from Arkansas to coach football and track. Poteete serves as an amazing role model to the student-athletes here at Owasso and is committed to making his athletes the best they can be.
Coaching athletes takes long and dedicated hours; from coming up with workouts for practice to deciding who is going to compete in each event, there are plenty of reasons why Poteete loves this job regardless of struggles.
Coach Poteete says, “I have always enjoyed sports and the impact it has on young people. I specifically enjoy coaching football because… I enjoy getting to help boys become men through the game. I enjoy coaching track because you get to know kids; you spend so much time with them and really learn about them on a different level.”
Picture of Coach Poteete by Ian Busking
There are lots of bonds and relationships that come through meeting different athletes. From the hours of practicing and to the games, so much time is spent getting to know the athletes that Poteete mentors. What comes with this, are a lot of memories that are never forgotten.
Poteete recalls, “My favorite memory so far in coaching is breaking the 4x100 meter relay school record at the track meet in Jenks.”
These records that are set will, most likely, not remain that way for long, but they certainly are a huge milestone that Coach Poteete and the athletes will remember for years to come. These years that an athlete gets to spend in high school can completely affect a person's life.
“It is such an important time in the lives of young people. My hope is that I can help guide student-athletes to make good decisions, push themselves and achieve their goals. I truly love getting to know kids; I learn just as much from them as they do from me,” says Poteete.
Coaching brings many different decisions to make throughout the process. One of those choices that they have to make is choosing the right sport to coach.
Poteete elaborates, “I chose football because I played it in college and had the most experience and knowledge. I've coached basketball in my career as well and thoroughly enjoyed that, but as a family man you can’t be that busy year round. Early in my career I was asked to coach track and just loved it; it meshes well with coaching football and I enjoy it so it works.”
Poteete has only been coaching at Owasso for one year so far but plans on staying for much more. He sees lots of potential in every athlete that he coaches and is a great guy beyond that.