Passion, excellence and ambition.
These qualities adorn girls athletic coordinator Emily Witt’s mindset.
Witt enters Coppell with a diverse background. She started her career as head volleyball coach, head tennis coach, assistant basketball and English teacher at Boling High School in southeast Texas. Prior to moving to Coppell, Witt was the head softball coach at George Ranch High School in the Houston area.
“She had a lot of experience in many different avenues that you need to be a coordinator,” Coppell High School Principal Laura Springer said, “She has been in Texas the whole time and she understands UIL and how to work with coaches.”
Witt replaces Dr. Roxanne Long as girls athletic coordinator, which entails managing equipment, UIL affairs, and working with other coaches.
Throughout the years, Witt has made countless bonds with the students she has coached and taught which led her to enjoy coaching.
“One of my favorite things is having kids reach out to me years after they have graduated to check in and let me know what they are doing,” Witt said, “Those types of relationships are important and special.”
This quality is also part of what drew Coppell ISD toward Witt when it sought a new head softball coach.
“Her passion and emphasis on relationships with all stakeholders was such that I thought she would be an excellent representative of our athletic department,” CISD Athletics Director Kit Pehl said.
Witt herself did not initially expect to move to Coppell over the summer, but she is glad that she made the decision.
“June and July were a wild ride,” Witt said, “My friends, family and myself never expected that I would shove everything away and haul my life up here.”
Witt also holds a deep passion for sports and coaching which was developed due to her upbringing.
“I spent a lot of my time on either the football or softball field when I was a little girl,” Witt said. “So I got into softball and played it growing up.
Being raised in the small town of Needville, Texas also helped nurture this inclination toward sports.
“Because I grew up in such a small town, you play any sport that is provided,” Witt said, “So I fell in love with sports.”
Although Witt’s family lives in Houston, she feels that she has still been able to feel at home in Coppell.
“The more that I am here, the less that I can see myself being anywhere else,” Witt said. “It has been a bittersweet feeling, but it is more sweet since I love being here and the people that I work with.”
Her determination in athletics also gave Witt the mindset to excel academically by earning an academic scholarship into Sam Houston State University.
Based on her experience, she encourages student athletes under her to use their competitive and ambitious nature to reach for more academically.
“As far as program expectation goes, succeeding in the classroom is at the top of our priority list,” Witt said.
Witt wants to give adequate support to athletes so that they can perform well on the field, but also beyond it.
“We spend a lot of time making sure that our kids are pushing themselves both on the field and in the classroom,” Witt said. “We do a lot of weekly check-ins and we talk about their classes.”
Overall, Witt is glad about her move to Coppell which will enable her to fulfill her ambitions of being part of athletic leadership.
“I am glad I took the risk, that’s a life lesson for sure,” Witt said. “Take the risk, just do it because nine times out of ten, you are gonna love the chance.”
Executive news editor Sahasra Chakilam contributed to this report.
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