Photo courtesy of Choate Flickr
Mr. Jim Davidson, commonly known as JD, is a HPRSS teacher well known for his commitments outside of the classroom, namely as a coach for numerous sports teams. Mr. Davidson started coaching Boys’ Thirds Basketball in the winter of 1976, when he was in graduate school. During his career, Mr. Davidson has coached the cross country teams in the fall, various levels of boys’ and girls’ basketball in the winter, and boys’ and girls’ track and field in the spring. Over the years, he has coached more than 100 seasons at Choate. In 2015, Mr. Davidson was presented with the Nadal Award, which honors a Founders League coach who exemplifies sportsmanship and respect. Staff Reporter Naomi Fleisch ’22 recently sat down with him to learn more about his experience coaching at Choate.
Naomi Fleisch: What is something that you have learned from being a coach at Choate? How has it helped you in other aspects of your life?
Jim Davidson: You can never stop learning, from the athletes and from other coaches. Also, you have to be adaptable — no two seasons are alike. Lastly, try and meet people where they are — help them figure out their strengths and weaknesses and what they can do to grow.
NF: What is the most rewarding part of being a coach?
JD: The ongoing challenge of working with student athletes. No two are the same and no one is the same from season to season. Also, the honest feedback from the athletes helps to keep me honest and growing.
NF: What does being a coach teach you about teamwork and communication?
JD: Being a coach teaches me about working with others – figuring out how to be successful in a shared activity or in achieving a goal is all the more crucial today. We are too focused on individual accomplishments; it is more fulfilling in the long run to work together to make each other better.
NF: What is your favorite part about athletics at Choate?
JD: My favorite part about athletics at Choate is that it is built for every student to find a sport or level they can work in.
NF: What is the best advice you have for Choate athletes?
JD: Don’t narrow your focus to one sport or just your success. See what you can get out of working with a variety of sports and the challenges they bring. Your chances to engage in team sports will only diminish after high school.
NF: What is something that you think everybody can learn from playing a sport?
JD: Something that everybody can learn from playing a sport is persistence and physical well-being.
NF: How does being a coach allow you to mentor students in a different way from being a teacher?
JD: Athletes are willing to learn, receive constructive criticism, and process their mistakes more readily — an attitude I hope they can carry into other parts of their lives. I often think of a quote I heard when I started playing basketball [from the late UCLA basketball coach John Wooden]: “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”
