Was I a teacher?
Now that I spend time breaking down complicated RV systems into bite-sized chunks online, I get this question a lot. In a way I was; it just wasn’t in a classroom.
In my 20s and early 30s, I spent most of my time competing in the newly forming women’s professional skateboard circuit. It was a grassroots effort generating support for an aspect of such a male-dominated sport that didn’t involve men. There are legendary women like BamBam Tangalin, Courtney Payne-Taylor, Heidi Lemmon, and Micaela Ramirez who scratched and clawed their way beyond the glass ceilings of the day to carve out opportunities in the industry for women and non-men. These early organizers truly changed the world and paved the way for the athletes of today. Athletes who get to do incredible things we never dreamed of, like representing their countries skateboarding in the Olympics.
Yet, because back then the scene was so new there was slim to no financial support for anyone but cis men. The skaters I rode with were all simply doing it for the love of the sport. An actual paycheck was rare.
This is how I stumbled into teaching. To earn a living doing what I loved, I started a business teaching surfing and skateboard lessons. I spent 15 years figuring out and perfecting the art of explaining physics to children. Taking complicated things and breaking them down into small pieces wasn’t just a profession; it was my passion.
Seeing a person’s whole face light up when they finally conquer something difficult they’d been working toward can be addictive. I used to joke that when a person stood up on a wave for the first time, I could see their smiles through the back of their heads. Helping people experience elation like that is something I deeply enjoy.
Teaching sports gave me the opportunity to help people strive for hard things without giving up. I got to teach kids the power of persistence, help build their confidence, and encourage them in a way that nurtured their self-esteem all at once.
As a non-binary person who deeply loves sports and has seen firsthand what a huge difference they can make in a person’s life, it breaks my heart that there is even a debate about who deserves to participate. Sports aren’t about winning. They are about all the little gifts they give us along the way.
Sports aren’t just for exercise; they teach us persistence, grow our confidence, expand our resilience, improve brain function, all while fostering a community of belonging. A child’s pronouns shouldn’t prevent their access to such tremendous, life-changing benefits.
So, in a way, I am still teaching. The subject may have changed along with the format, but I still wholeheartedly enjoy passing on what I know… especially if it can make someone else’s journey through this life a little bit better.
Be good to each other. And go play.
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