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BVH P.E. coach takes a spin

P.E. coach keeps self care strong inside and outside of the locker rooms

Bonita Vista High P.E Course 1 Coach Randi Wittak holds close relationships with students enrolled in her P.E classes and brings casual conversation among students who are in need of her support in and outside the P.E locker rooms.

Destiny Avila Ramirez and Mallory Lacsmana
October 6, 2022

The babbling sound of voices can be heard overlapping one another as students line up outside Bonita Vista High’s (BVH) official boys and girls locker rooms. Students are found standing on assigned alphabetical numbers for their appropriate class sections awaiting the start of another class period. They chatter as they await their head coaches to take attendance and present them a class period of several opportunities to be outdoors and physical.

Physical Education (P.E.) Coach Randi Wittak is one of many coaches who is able to experience working with students daily outside of an indoor classroom setting, allowing for a style of teaching that few of the faculty get to experience. Wittak works to bring many opportunities for physical action. She is a young teacher, going on her seventh year of coaching from several schools across San Diego until eventually finding her way to BVH. She always knew that this was the career meant for her.

“I wanted to be a teacher my whole life and then my freshman year of high school, my high school did a P.E-health combo class, I had P.E. three days a week and then [I] was in a classroom learning health for two days. I loved the class and went up to the teacher and said, ‘I’m going to take your job one day.’” Wittak recalled.

Working with youth and bringing the spirit of physical activity to practice felt “fitting” for Wittak, as she describes. She comments on the level of trust students are able to build with coaches once they arrive at the field as well as the relationships that P.E nourishes.

“

Ms. Wittak cares a lot about her students, and can connect with them over mutual interests and her desire for them to succeed […] we are lucky to have her at BVH, in the PE department and as my friend.

— P.E coach Heidi Arciaga

“I feel like P.E. teachers have a very different relationship with students than in classrooms because they are in a more vulnerable spot. We have an area [locker rooms] where they are changing and there’s a trust level needed there,” Wittak said. “I feel like students’ kind of open up to you more as a P.E teacher, it’s a different type of vibe and boundaries with P.E.”

Wittak comments that she has been able to grow close and keep in touch with several of her previous students as she continues to offer them her support with academic or personal issues when needed.

“There’s students that connect with me and trust me and talk to me like Bianca Ramirez who’s in ASB but like there’s a couple students that bring their senior pictures to me and I was close to them. They just confided in me needing advice with several things.” Wittak said.

Senior Bianca Ramirez was a student in Wittak’s class during her freshman year and part of her online sophomore year during virtual learning over the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic who has shared that she has grown close with Wittak.

“She is one of the few teachers I go to with my personal problems, so I feel like she is the easiest one to talk to and she’s like my second mom because it’s super easy to tell her things,” Ramirez said. “It’s also easy for her to tell me things I don’t want to hear even though they are right, so I’d say she impacted me as a person and how I act around other people,”

Ramirez recounts how supportive Wittak was with anything she may have needed assistance with and she describes how Wittak always accommodated for her regarding obligations for sports.

“She was always there regardless, because I had to leave a lot for sports, and it was never her putting me down because of it. That was really nice to have because that was my first year of high school, so knowing that she was there, and I didn’t have to worry about failing or anything. She was just very lenient and respectful to my sports.” Ramirez said.

Ramirez comments that she has also been able to learn about the things that play a crucial role to Wittak’s everyday life. For example, her dog Rucker, a box-lab mix whom she takes on walks when she feels as though she needs to destress in a calming outside setting.

“Cuddling with my dog is my stress reliever. That’s kinda how it works and I am good with one dog, maybe two. I grew up with dogs but yeah I would say I’m a dog person pretty strictly,” Wittak said.

Wittak exercises daily through studio spin classes to balance her days or de-stress. P.E coach Heidi Arciaga is a fellow co-worker of Wittak and shares the importance of spin classes in which she also participates in as a great way to keep in shape.

“We both do spin. I do Peloton at home and she takes in person classes. We have very different schedules so we can’t spin together, but they are an awesome way to stay in shape in a fun way,” Arciga notes.

As Wittak continues her fourth year of classes she describes how they have been enjoyable for her. She adds that they have provided her several opportunities to meet new people and have now become a necessary part of her day.

“When I don’t exercise, I feel like my day’s off and I really enjoy the classes. I have met a lot of people through the classes, and I have a group of friends. It’s a really good community.” Wittak regarded.

Other than Arciaga and Wittak bonding their common interest in spin classes, both are supportive of each other in and out of school. Arciaga and Wittak met challenges together as P.E. teachers, such as keeping a large group of students organized in an outside setting. Though Wittak may face challenges as a P.E teacher and in her personal life Arciaga points out Wittaks abilities to overcome these challenges, both in and out of school.

“She [Wittak] overcomes challenges by leaning on her friends and family.” Arciaga said. “She balances herself by talking about things going on in her life with friends and pushing her to do things she knows she enjoys like spin class or walking her dog, even when life is stressful.”

Wittak’s relationship with Arciaga goes further than coaching P.E. classes. Arciaga explains several of the activities they would do together outside of their coaching time, such as going to Disneyland together, one the most unfading memories with Wittak, and how she enjoys spending time with Wittak. She feels as if she can count on Wittak and takes pride in the bond and friendship they have built.

“Ms. Wittak cares a lot about her students, and can connect with them over mutual interests and her desire for them to succeed […] we are lucky to have her at BVH, in the PE department and as my friend,” Arciaga said.