Mr. Abdul-Rahim clears the bar at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials.
“Passionate” and “enthusiastic” only begin to describe the attitude of Mr. Mustafa “Mus” Abdul-Rahim, Choate’s new mathematics teacher, basketball coach, and track coach. Whether in the classroom or on the court, the fire inside him inspires others to put 100% into all endeavors. Mr. Abdul-Rahim’s influence makes him an incredibly effective coach, but who was Mr. Abdul-Rahim before arriving at Choate?
He grew up in Jamaica West Indies, where he lived for seven years until he and his family moved to Brookline, Massachusetts. His love of athletics began in Jamaica, where he played several different sports. “Growing up I played soccer, basketball, football, baseball, cricket, and track and field,” Abdul-Rahim commented. “My time in Jamaica really solidified my love of track.”
Mr. Abdul-Rahim would eventually make his way to the big stage at Dartmouth College, where he majored in engineering and went on to become the fourth African-American at Dartmouth to be named Academic All-Ivy in the school’s history. Of course, he also competed on the track and field team. He was awarded Dartmouth Athlete of the Year twice, and was a four-time NCAA Division I All-American. In 2004, he broke an Ivy League decathlon record that had stood for 19 years. It was his career best, 7,936 points, on the fringe of the 8,000 points needed to qualify for the Olympics in Athens that year. Mr. Abdul-Rahim would compete in the Olympic Trials twice during his career.
Now a math teacher here at Choate, Mr. Abdul-Rahim enjoys the environment a boarding school brings to the table: “Boarding schools offer me the opportunity to form strong bonds with students and have an impact beyond the classroom.” This winter term, Mr. Abdul-Rahim became one of the three coaches of Boys’ JV Basketball, who currently sit at a rather impressive record of 9-6 heading into tonight’s season finale versus Deerfield. This season is the first time Mr. Abdul-Rahim has ever coached basketball. “I have a lot of love for the game. This whole season has been a memorable experience for me,” Abdul-Rahim exclaimed. “It has been great to watch the team grow. The players have learned a lot about basketball and their own capabilities throughout the season.”
In addition to coaching basketball at the junior varsity level, Mr. Abdul-Rahim will be one of the coaches of the track and field team this spring. In general, he has enjoyed the thrill of coaching high school students. “Coaching has always been a passion of mine,” Mr. Abdul-Rahim stated. “High school students are hungry to learn — they are still developing skills and they are receptive to strong coaching, teaching, and leadership.”
All in all, the heart that Coach Mus puts into his teaching and his coaching cannot be matched. His experience and passion certainly light a fire under his athletes, motivating them to put all the energy they have into practices and games.
