This year, Manitou Spring High School welcomed Riley Gregory as the new gym teacher for Athletic Conditioning and the Freshman Physical Education class. Gregory is also the new head baseball coach and assistant coach for football this year.
Gregory taught for three years as a physical education teacher at Antelope Elementary School. This is his first time teaching and coaching at the same school. “At my last school, I taught at the elementary school, but I coached at the same high school,” Gregory said.
Gregory’s mentor teacher, Sam Duff, says that he is a very strong and friendly character. “It’s a really good trait to be a kind of model for kids. He works really hard to jump right in, like starting coaching right away, which was a big task,” Duff said. “He is very friendly with his students. He really tries to teach them the importance of how to play the sports, so they can try to get the most out of the class.”
Students of Gregory, whether it is their first time taking the class or not, feel that he is a very good and kind teacher. Eli Haugen, a freshman, is taking Athletic Conditioning for the first time this year and would like to take another class with him again in the future. “I feel like he is a good teacher and teaches us what we are doing wrong,” Haugen said.
Ayden Polizzi, a junior that has taken Athletic Conditioning before, enjoys the class and Gregory’s teaching style in Athletic Conditioning. “The teaching method allows people to do what they want individually without having to follow a strict work out schedule,” Polizzi said.
Avery Holcomb, who is also a junior that took athletic conditioning last year, really likes having Gregory as a teacher and would take his class again next year. “So far, I really like Gregory’s way of teaching and his different workout routines,” Holcomb said. “I think he is super fair about stuff and includes boys and girls in similar stuff, and I think he’s just a really funny guy.”
Gregory decided to make a change from the larger school of Antelope Elementary School to Manitou Spring High School. “I love the small community,” Gregory said. “I think it is a great place to be, and the kids are awesome.”
The head of the physical education department, Gabby Santos, has heard many good things about what Gregory has done for the school and physical education department. “From what I have heard from students, he seems like he is doing a good job at adjusting and making sure the kids are active and he is settling into athletic conditioning well, and making sure that our athletic conditioning program is making kids stronger,” Santos said.
Gregory has high hopes for the impact he wants to leave for his students and athletes. “As a coach, I hope to establish a good culture of competitiveness of good humans and good community members,” Gregory said. “As a teacher, I just want to inspire kids to live a lifelong active lifestyle.”
