July 31, 2024 • 32 mins
It's a return visit for Ben Benavides, who talks with Tim Cates about his new role as Athletic Director at the Edgewood ISD in San Antonio. He was a standout athlete, who returned to coach high school football for neary 25 years before elevating to his new postion within the school district. Ben is a graduate of the MCAA program at Concordia University Irvine and talks about his experience in the program and how it helped him in his career.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
From a standout high school player to All conference college
football player, to high school football coach to now athletic
director of an entire school district in San Antonio. He
has Ben Ben Avitas and he returns on episode seventy
two of the Masters in Coaching Podcast. Let's go Welcome
(00:24):
into episode seventy two of the Masters in Coaching Podcast
here on iHeartRadio YouTube wherever you are watching our listening.
We certainly appreciate that. Excited to talk to this week's
guest again. He is a repeat visitor here. We're excited
to catch up with Ben Benavitez and find out what
he's doing now. Last time we talked two years ago,
his role was different. He is in a new position
(00:46):
and we're excited to find out what he is doing
now here in the summer of twenty twenty four. Longtime
football coach, former football player and a two time All Conference
player in college at Bethel College. Standout high school football
player and athlete in multiple sports in high school in
the state of Texas when he was a young man.
Longtime football coach, educator, and now in a new role
(01:06):
with the Edgewood Independent School District. Athletic Director, Ben Benavitez
joins us once again here on the Masters and Coaching podcast. Ben,
How you doing.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
I'm doing well? Thank you to him.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Man.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Just life is good right now. It's busy, but it's
a good busy. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Absolutely. Last time we spoke, you were back at your
your alma mater, your high school, JFK High School, and
you were coaching high school football and things were good.
You were going into year five and coming off a
playoff season. And now here we are in the summer
of twenty twenty four and you're in an athletic director
role with the school district. Tell us how you got here.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
So, yeah, I was the head football coach at John
Coney High School for a number of years. Like you said,
that was my high school that I attended. Our athletic
director retired and our assistant athletic director also had moved
on to another location. So the athletic position, the athletic
director position was open here in our district. And uh,
you know, MCAA, you know, and Cocordia kind of prepared me,
(02:04):
you know, from the beginning to the end, and I
felt very prepared to take on that role in you know,
in my in the position here in our district. Uh,
to not just you know, coach you know, athletes at
the point, but now to help coach coaches.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Is it an athletic director job overseeing just the one
high school? Because I know there's two high schools in
this district? What is that role?
Speaker 2 (02:23):
So as the athletic director for Judized, do I oversee
the entire school district, both high schools, all the middle
schools and I am also director of physical education for
all the elementaries as well.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Oh wow, is this something that has been a daunting
task something you've kind of welcomed?
Speaker 2 (02:39):
What? What? What?
Speaker 1 (02:40):
What has been in What has it been like the
first year here?
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Well, the learning curve you know, of course, you know,
being an athletic coordinator at the high school, you know,
and being a head football coach. You know, the budget.
When you do with the budget, you deal with a
very limited budget for every sport and then for your campus.
But now dealing with the budget for the entire district
was was a big task for me, was trying to
figure out those kind of numbers just because it's so
(03:07):
much more money that's in the entire district budget. So
it was I was as far as going from an
athletic coordinator at one campus to running the entire district.
I was. I felt like I was prepared for everything
except for the budget.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Now, this is something that's different from what you were
doing because you were coaching, and you were coaching high
school football and you had a passion for that. And
we talked about that on your last visit, about how
you were at Bethel College and you really got the
fire to want to coach, and you come back and
you eventually get back to your high school alma mater
at JFK High School. There because of these positions that
(03:46):
open and the way it kind of lined up was
the timing just right to do it, to step away
from coaching.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
You know, after coaching you know, football for twenty five years,
and you start hitting those last five years of your career.
If you want to do thirty or more, Yeah, you're
in Texas TRS or Texas retirement system.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
And then and I don't really don't want to talk
about money, but at this point in my career, and
that not that I lost the passion for coaching or
for doing football, is that here in Texas they do
the last five the top five pay scales of your
career and then you get a percentage of that for retirement.
So it was you know, kind of a step and
elevation and pay but giving up the coach and they
(04:25):
were gonna have to you know, it was gonna it
was gonna take some money in my opinion, yea to
kick me off the sidelines. But yeah, that first year
was rough, you know, sitting in the gator on the
on the track watching you know, the players play, and
especially the players I've coached in the past, you know,
at one of the high schools and then seeing the
coaches coach and you know, the the passion doesn't leave
(04:46):
that it stays in your gut, you know what I'm saying,
in your heart. But it was it was nice to
see other coaches, you know, elevating their leadership roles because obviously,
you know, being in the MCA program, you know the
matters and coaching and athletic administration. Uh uh, you're at
least the ultimate goal was to become an athletic director. Sure,
but you know, the program did help me become a
(05:06):
better head coach, you know, a better human being, but
a better head coach. But that leadership role kind of
took the next level, and it was nice to see
the next coaches in the line take their leadership roles
and move up as well.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
It's interesting because hearing you talk and the role that
you're in and overseeing high school, middle school, elementary school, uh,
and being a football coach. I don't think there's a
better person to take over this role because you've got
coordinators and you've got assistant coaches. As a head football
coach and stepping into the role you're doing, you now
got to oversee different branches in different schools at different levels.
(05:39):
So it kind of is dissimilar. You're the You're the
head coach of all these these athletic programs. How is that?
How cool is that?
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Yes, it's awesome just because I feel like I've always
been a player's coach and now I feel like I'm
a coach's coach. So and you know, the people that
are in this office, that you know that work underneath
me closely in the in the athletic apartment, they tell
me that, hey, coach, this, you're this athletic director. Office
has never been so busy because people come out, they
(06:07):
sit down, we have conversations, you know, we talk. People
feel comfortable, you know, not asking me for stuff, but
kind of saying, hey, coach, and I was thinking about
doing this. You know, what do you what do you
think we can do with this? We've done it this
way for so long, and that's the O cliche, right,
just because we've always done it that way, it doesn't
mean it's the correct way or the right way to
do things. I said, well, just take a look at it.
You know, it's my year one. You know, We're gonna
(06:27):
do some trials and errors. I'm gonna listen to your advice,
and we're going to try to do things the way
you think might be better for your program or your programs.
And then at the end of the season or the
end of the trial error, I mean the trial thing,
we can look at how it went. Yeah, honestly, I
would say ninety percent of the suggestions that were brought
up by coaches are awesome suggestions, awesome ideas, and we're
(06:50):
gonna step with them during a year two.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
It makes sense to you saying that because the coaches
are the ones in the trenches. The coaches are the
ones out there dealing with the positives of the neg
of their coaching job, and so when they're coming to
you good and bad, there's obviously a need or there's
obviously a want that they're trying to get. Certainly, avery
coach wants all the money. All the coaches want everything
to come to their program. I understand that. But it
(07:13):
makes sense that if you're a coach and you're coming
to you, they're there for a reason, and you know
you can you can kind of you wear different caps
you've been there before as a head coach, knowing like
I get, I understand why you need it for this, this.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
And this exactly so, and just to you know, them
feeling comfortable with me, you know, having a conversation with me,
and nothing against the previous athetic directors. They were awesome.
I mean they were uh, they did such a good
job in our district. I just felt that there was
some sort of I guess a kind of a wall
(07:47):
between yeah, between and it was more it was I mean,
I respected my AD completely, So if I was going
to go to my AD, it was going to be
for a particular situation exactly. It wasn't going to be
just hey, coach, I'm dreaming about trying to do this.
It was like I need this or can you help
me out with this. But now I think that the
correspondence that I have with my coordinators and my head
coaches and even the assistant coaches at both high schools
(08:09):
and the middle schools has helped not only just build
our relationship but also helped their program become better.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Now that you're a year plus into this role and
this job, are there some things that you want to
maybe start implementing, some things that you're seeing that Okay,
this needs to be universally changed, or I want to
start doing this and maybe kind of put your own
stamp on something moving forward. Has any of those things
risen up?
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Yes? So, as the coordinator and head football coach, I
did a huge character development piece in our program. I
mean that was a weekly thing we did with our program,
not just in season, but we did an off season.
And sometimes that voice in the in the athletes head
where they okay, well, coach is saying, you know, I
should do things this way. Yeah. I kind of wanted
(08:56):
to bring that to my school when I was at
as the coordinator, and I don't think it went as
well over the entire sports system. We're coming into this
for as the athletic director kind of made an initiative
as far as character development goes and the hours that
they do per week and the community service that they
do for each program and in each high school. I mean,
(09:17):
it kind of flourished in both high schools. Now I
haven't got touched in middle schools yet, which I probably
will this year. But it's just the character development piece
and the community service stuff that we picked up and
we did our just last week we did our first
first annual EDGE WITHDD Leadership Summit. So we chose the
cream of the crop as far as not I don't
(09:38):
want to say cream of the crop, but the leaders
from each sport at each high school because we have
two different high schools, brought them together for a leadership summit.
We had about one hundred people here and we had
different leaders come out and speak to our high school leaders.
So what we did was we got three athletes from
one high school, three athletes from the other high scho
(10:00):
we put them on the same table with two coaches
from each high school and we had about fifteen tables
out there and we had conversations and we had team
bonding and the whole theme of the thing was fortifying
our culture. Yeah, because this is our neighborhood, this is
our communities, this is where I'm from, this is where
I grew up, and the coaches ran with it. As
(10:20):
far as the character development goes for the district. The
coaches got together and they ran with it. So I
kind of want to do what I did at a
small level with character development and just that initiative, and
I brought it to the whole district and doing middle
school this year, and also I'm going to bring into
the elementary levels as well.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
How is that received? I mean, it sounds great and
it sounds like something a lot of districts need to
start implementing because it gets dialogue and communication going together
in that community. How was it received?
Speaker 2 (10:52):
It was, It was awesome. I did the survey at
the end of the LOQR code and the survey was
completely positive. I'm not going to be I'm not going
to say I invented this. North Side ISSD, which has
about twenty schools here in San Antonio. They're a separate
school district. There's the ones that kind of started. They
call it beyond the Game. So me and my coordinators
met with Ady stan Leach over there at at Northside
(11:15):
and we said, hey, coach, we love what you do here.
How did you guys implement it? You know what kind
of books that they did? You guys do with kind
of activities, And he walked us through the whole thing.
So we kind of brought it over here. We kind
of follow his lead. But it was awesome. It was
received very well the kids. You know, nothing but positive reviews.
And I think a couple of kids that didn't know
each other, yeah, we now know each other. And then
(11:38):
just the conversations we had. It wasn't just sit down
and take notes. It was we moved around, we did
team bonding and and I think they enjoyed it. Like
I said, the survey was great.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
I think more and poortantly as a father myself, anytime
you get these kids off devices, away from screens and
start getting dialogue going and communication going with people who
maybe they don't necessarily talk to every or go to
school with every day, it makes them better, It makes everything,
make easy situation maybe down the road, who knows. I
think it's just great to get that dialogue going.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Yes, yes, And and some of these kids at that
age are so multiple. I mean they got to hear things,
not just from their parents. They got to hear from coaching.
I mean we've told it all the time, where the
parents says, hey, can you tell us son this. I've
been telling them a hundred times. He does listen to me.
You tell them once and he does it. So just
hearing it from different people, I think that helps, especially,
like I said, with character development, that's that's something that
(12:32):
we talked to. One of the things we talked about
was control the controllables. Obviously your effort, but your attitude
is one thing you can control no matter what the circumstance.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
Last time we spoke, you ingrained a model. In my mind,
hard work pays off. Absolutely, hard work pays off. Are
you still using that in your new role.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
I haven't used it as much in my new role.
It's still my model here, you know, personally, you know
when I wake up in the morning. But when I
went to the high school, I was taught I guess
or like, you got to put your stamp on that
high school. You got to bring in a logo or
a brand of what you want that program to look like.
(13:12):
And that was my model. So now that the new
head coach is there, you know, I let him do
his thing with that new program, and sure, let you know,
kind of let it be his own. You know, he
doesn't need to use my model to even though I
thought it was pretty good. But you know, he's doing
his own thing there, which is great. He's doing great
things there.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
When you look at a young Ben back at Bethel
College and think back to those days, could you ever
thought about this as be the position you're in here
years down the road, having the influence and say over
not only just a football team, but an entire school
district and what they can do and learn and develop
athletically and a you're talking about as a community.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
Well, I mean being a football player at the college level,
I I was kind of living in the moment as
far as playing playing football and trying to you know,
get that that degree going, because you know, classes and
practices are tough, you know, at at the college level.
You know. But I had early influences. I had good coaches,
good you know, good people to look you know, look
mentors and stuff that that saw something in me that
(14:14):
I probably didn't see it myself. I was always curious
why I was voting captain of the teams that I
was the captain since I was a kid, you know,
and every team, you know, when you vote for a captain,
I was always putting that leadership role, you know, as
a captain. And it was because I was, you know,
I was passionate about what I was doing at the time.
And I don't know what sparked that passion to be
(14:36):
a leader, but I just felt like I felt very
comfortable doing it. So, you know, after colleging and you know, coaching,
you know, and just kind of just kind of moved
up the ranks as far as you know, becoming a leader.
And I always told every staff that I was on,
you know, first time we met, I'm not trying to
be arrogant and I'm not trying to be vain, but
I'm going to try to outwork you guys every single day.
(14:57):
I would hope you guys try to do the same
with me. And I would try to work outwork everybody,
you know, whether it was on Saturdays or Sundays or
on the practice field or whatever it is, in front
of kids, in front of them, I just felt like
I wanted to outwork them, and I think that kind
of elevated me to a leadership pro that they said, well,
this guy, you know, he's pretty passionate about what he does.
But I never saw myself as an athletic director until honestly,
(15:20):
I got into the MCA program, when I started seeing
I guess me also still being mouldable at you know,
forty fifty years old, still being able to take things
in and change as a human being and use some
of the things that we did in the program and
putting them to practice, like putting them into my professional
(15:40):
and you know, my daily life. So I don't want
to say this kind of fell into my lap, but
it was an opportunity for me to elevate as a leader,
and honestly, one dred percent, I felt like I was
the perfect person for this position and it kind of
just kind of worked out.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Absolutely, leaders always seem to find a way to rise
up towards the top, and that's exactly what you have
done there now in your new role as athletic director.
Going back to going through the program, the MCAA program,
what eventually led you to start the program? I mean
it takes that first jump to want to pursue that
master's degree. What was it for you to just initially
(16:19):
to say, all right, I'm going to do.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
This So at the time, I was a defensive coordinator
out of high school, and I wanted to become a
head coach. I had already been doing it for a while,
coach a few years in the college level in middle school,
and I was the high school for about eight years.
And I decided, okay, so I want to become a
head football coach. And I felt that having a master's
degree in some sort of sports administration path that it
(16:46):
would kind of help me elevate to that position. Thus,
I wanted, you know, some more knowledge, and I wanted to,
you know, have some leadership and some management skills that
I already had but not at the high highest level.
So also obviously did some research. I mean, I'm in
Texas and looking for an online platform and online program
(17:08):
that I can do. Even though I did go there, wife,
I think for those week long summer programs that we
had there, those were awesome. By the way, the end
of the coaching and.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
The coaching conferences Coaching conference, and I started speaking at
the conference.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
I don't know if you remember, I spoke with people.
I spoke several years at the conference, you know, on
my four to two five defense. But I chose concorded
because it was exactly what I needed at the time,
and it was probably one of the better decisions I've made,
because it's, like I said, it's a master's in coaching
and athletic administration. I'm a coach and now I'm an
athletic administrator. So it was perfectly exactly what I needed.
(17:47):
I just felt, and then once I went to the program,
I think, I'm gonna be honest, maybe one, two, three,
six guys after me when it got their MCA at
Concorda University as well, so they saw how well I
was doing and how much I enjoyed it, and I
pitched completely to them. As a matter of fact, at
every UH, every clinic or conference that we're at and
(18:08):
the MCA has a booth there and I always go
say hi, I take a picture with the people that
are there, and I call people over and say, hey,
you know, this is one of the best programs in
the country. If you guys are really really interested in
doing something or elevating your career, I highly recommend this program.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
You caught my eye on something or my ears. You
said four to five defense, I want to get in.
I want to get into this so your defensive philosophy
and scheme is having five defensive backs.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Now.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
My question for you then is is that because of
the style of play now in football at all levels,
from the a lot of passing. You know, we got
so many guys that are throwing the ball, the run
game has gotten away from a lot of football different levels.
I mean here in California, it's just spread it out.
I mean, the running back might as well be the dinosaur.
It's almost extinct here.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Is that? Is that?
Speaker 1 (18:57):
The reason why is because football is so much passing now?
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Yes, and honesty, I've played mike backer in college in
the four two five dcause back then we call it
the forty nickel, right, we call it the forty nickel, uh,
And I just kind of just tweaked it and geared
it towards a high school level because it's a little
more complex in college. Since since I played in it
and I coached it, I really knew that defense like
the back of my hand, so I kind of tinkered
(19:23):
with it a little bit. I go too high, sometimes
I go with the one. I go one on the
roof for two on the roof, depending on the situation.
If you're gonna be a run heavy team. I'm gonna
go one on the roof one safety. If you're gonna
spread it out on me, I'm gonna go two on
the roof of two safeties. And uh, I just felt
it was so easy for my kids. It was. I mean,
the rules never changed. If you're an overhang outside linebacker,
(19:45):
then you're gonna line up a certain way three by
three or four by four, and this is your read.
You're gonna read the block first and then the back
and then un by the football. So I felt like
it was just easy for my kids to comprehend at
the high school level, and the rules never changed. Is
your alignment, it's your assignment, this is your home and
then you could figure out on film the next day
if they weren't lining up right, if their assignment was misread,
(20:07):
and then they if obviously they didn't read the play correctly.
But I try to keep the responsibilities very, very limited
as far as just gonna go play football. It's play fast,
you know, I don't want you thinking. Line up and go.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
That's the worst thing they could do is start thinking,
because that's when they started making mistakes out there on
the field, and somebody can get.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Hurt, especially fifteen year olds.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Absolutely. Ben Bena Vida is our guest here on episode
seventy two of the Masters and Coaching Podcasts. I want
to fall up a little bit more about football with
you coach. In general, high school football in the state
of Texas is it what the movies Friday Night lights
the TV show make it out to be? Last one out?
(20:51):
Turn the lights off. We're going on a road game
thirty miles away to play another town down the road
home games, everything shuts down, everybody's at game on that
Friday night. Is high school football the absolute king in Texas?
Speaker 2 (21:04):
Absolutely? I would say yes. And it's not just the
way it looks in the movies. I mean that really
happens in those little small towns that that's all they do.
There's football, and the lights do go off, and everybody
goes to state. The only lights on are probably the
stadium lights. It's a little different in the city because
you have, like for example, San Antonio has probably seventy
five high schools, so there are several games going on
in several venues in different stadiums, and but it's not
(21:31):
I mean, you can go to a to a high
school game and I mean even even a small high
school game's gonna have about five six thousand people there
watching a game that's a small high school. If you
go to one of these bigger North Side Northeast high
school games and it's it's in the tens and fifteens,
you know, and it's like it's like a college you know,
(21:52):
it's like a college atmosphere type game. I mean, you
got the entertainment, you got the concessions, you got the fans,
you got the video boards that are unreal. Now you're like,
oh my god, that's not a college level I mean
the college level type video board stuff. That's unbelievable. It
really is, it really is. I mean it's it's it's
If you ever get a chance to watch a high
(22:13):
school friend I gamer in Texas, I highly recommend it.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
I'll go back to last time we spoke. It was interesting,
it sticks with me right now still and talking about
how important it was for you to go back to
your community, to go back to where you're from, the
neighborhoods around your schools, to be an influence one, to
be a leader to and a coach in that area
to help young men. And now you're helping young men
(22:38):
and women in your new role. Is that still something
that's important to you in your new role, not only
just as before a football coach and helping those young men,
but now you're helping kids at the elementary school and
really starting to dive in and pour into them there
and as they progressed through your school district.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Absolutely get they got understand that comes from this neighborhood.
You know, I tell our kids all the time, you know,
don't be who, don't be who they think you are
because we're one of the poorest school districts you know
at one point in the nation. Uh, So they have
a lot of obstacles in front of them. So me
being from the neighborhood literally two miles from my office
where I grew up, I think I have an insight
(23:17):
on on you know, what they're going through, you know
how they're growing up and and just letting them know, hey, hey,
this is a place where it's going to set your foundation.
Uh and it's gonna hopefully you know, make you a
stronger better person because we in this communitee is they're tough.
It's a tough neighborhood, which is which is not a
batter good thing. It's just it's just the way we
(23:38):
grew up. It's the way you know, you grew up.
So you got to be able to take that, you know,
and use it as a tool, a tool on your
tool belt that you can do that, you know, make
yourself stronger, make yourself, you know, move forward. So me
being from the neighborhood, I feel like I can have
an honest conversation with you know, with the athletes, even
the students at the elementary level, saying hey, this is
(23:59):
where I'm from. Uh, And whatever you aspire to do
and do, whatever you feel like you want to do,
you know, it's there. It's there. You just got to
you know, obviously got to make the right choices. Where
the character development piece comes.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
In absolutely absolutely in hiring coaches and hiring teachers and
setting a curriculum. I guess is what you would do
more for the elementary and middle school levels as far
as the sports. How much do you do you look
at character in that character building and trying to find
try to find because nobody's gonna be like you, coach,
(24:31):
but trying to find somebody that's like you, like minded
and the passion you have and and have the same
goals as you have. How how much are you thinking
about that and those kind of hires and and and
structures that you're building at the lower levels.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Well, I mean, I'm hoping that teachers and coach teachers
that coach and coaches that teach, which is you know,
we hire teachers first, obviously, right, so we're you know,
we're we're thanking on you being very good in the class.
You know, because the physical education part teachers is very limited,
right you now one teacher per elementary. You have two
(25:08):
at the middle school and two at the high school.
So I probably have twenty thirty pe teachers. Only it's
getting to that other crowd, the other teachers, so I
have to work with their admin. You know. Vice principals
mostly about trying to implement you know, our two words
or our character amount. If you ever get a chance
to look at Stephen Mackie's two words character development, that's
(25:29):
the program we adopted here in the district. I brought
that in a few years ago. And he also has
an elementary piece to it, so there the high school
kids aren't listening to what the elementary kids are hearing
or scene and vice versa. So getting with the vice principals,
hopefully they can implement this not just in the pe classroom,
but incorporated into their curriculum at the elementary level where
(25:52):
they're hearing it. They're not just hearing it in the gym,
they're also hearing in their classrooms, which takes. Some elementaries
are very very good at it and some are just
kind of lacking because they got so many other things
to do, which I understand, right, But I just think
it's a very important piece and it's going to start
getting into more elementaries as we move forward with this,
And I'm going to put our little video piece. There's
(26:13):
one elementary that does it really really well, So I'm
gonna do a video on them, and I'm gonna send
it to all the other principles say hey, look, this
is what it looks like when it's successful. This is
what it can be at your school if you just
take fifteen to twenty minutes a week, not a day, Right,
that's a weed to get to do this to the program.
I think it have really benefit your kids.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
Then, last time we spoke to two summers ago, you
were getting ready for a football season and you were
I'm pretty sure. It was year five, I think you
were getting at JFK High School, and I said, you know,
where do you see your program in a year? What
do you see your program in five years? And you
you're talking about just com billion on the foundation and
getting better. And here we are two years later and
(26:54):
you're in a completely different role and in a bigger
role with the school district. I'll ask you again, like
we're do you in a couple of years from now
you where do you see yourself? Do you see yourself
in the same role, because you got this fire to
want to continue to build on what you started here
in your first year, in this year, this new role,
where do you see yourself in a few years.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
I honestly still see myself here in my district, in
our district as the athletic director, I see I have
a lot of I have a big vision for the
ethetic department in our district, and I want to see
how far we can get, how far we can push
it as far as getting at to be one of
(27:36):
those athletic departments or those school districts where people come
over here like they did. When I was a high
school coach, I had other coaches come visit me to
see what we were doing in the program, and yeah,
what we're doing defensity our scheme wise. You know, I
wanted this to be a place where people come and say,
you know what they're doing things right over there, man,
that's awesome. Look at how successful they're doing at this.
I want to go talk to those coaches and see
(27:59):
what they're doing. It's working. Because I have several mentors
right now that have been the athletic director roles for
a very very long time. Some are retired and they're
doing When they were athletic directors, they were doing great things.
And you know, coaches are the biggest thieves and when
it comes to like ideas from other people, absolutely, So,
like I said, we saw the one for the summit,
(28:20):
we saw it from northside and and there's a coach,
coach Leal the ad at in the valley. He does
some awesome things as far as like elementary track meets
and and we did special Olympics track meets las year.
But I the elementary TrackMan, I want to bring that
back and I want to make sure that's something that
that the community looks forward to. So, like I wanted
(28:40):
to be one of those district where people call us
and say, how'd you guys get that done? Or what
did you guys do over here? Or I saw that
That look pretty awesome. Man. We want to implement the
same thing in our in our district and we have
a conversation. That's where I see ourselves in a few
years from now.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
That's awesome. I mean on side. The school district I
grew up in here in southern California is a smaller
school district outside of l And And in elementary school,
they had the track meets. And there's eight middle eight
elementary schools right right around there, and they had a
track meet. In middle school, there's three middle schools, and
we had flag football games and volleyball tournaments and and
different things. And you get to know other kids, and
(29:14):
you grow up playing sports with the kid who maybe
goes to a different middle school, but you get to
play against them, but you're gonna go to the same
high school because you feed in there together and you
get to see them again and play against them again,
and the competition and then you get to grow up
with them in the next four years in high school.
It's it's something I think is lost, especially it gets
lost when you have a huge school district that can't
do that obviously and just don't have the money or
(29:35):
funding or time to do it. But I love that idea.
I love the fact to get these kids, you know,
started at a young age is absolutely awesome.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
Yeah. And then and the coaches love it and the
kids love it, and then you said just bring them
together for you know, for any competition. Yep.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
Yeah, Well, Ben, I appreciate the time. Great to catch
up with you. The fact that here we are as
a repeat guest. I I get it. I see why
because you were taking your football program to one level
and here you are now as an athletic director taken
to another level and just hearing you talk about and
I can see the wheels spinning about where you're gonna
(30:12):
be in a few years, Like, I got a lot
of things I want to do, and you've got a fire,
You've got a passion, and man, if I'm in this
school district right now, I'm fired up to have you
as one of the leaders because I know, I know
big things are coming and good things are going to
be happening at all levels from elementary to high school.
So continue success you're doing great stuff. I love to
(30:32):
hear what you're doing. I know our listeners and viewers
are excited to catch up and see what you're doing
down there in San Antonio. So again, thanks for joining
us again on the podcast.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
Thank you so much. And if anybody has any questions,
if they want to follow up me, you know, if
you can give them my information, I'd be more than
glad to help them.
Speaker 1 (30:47):
Well, there he goes Ben benavetas Edgewood Independent School District
Athletic Director. If you'd like to reach out to him,
find out more, learn more, or just pick his brain
because you've got a lot of great ideas. Benjamin dot
Benavetas at E I s D dot net. Benjamin dot
b E n A v I d e s at
(31:08):
EI s D dot net. Benjamin dot Benevitas at EI
s D dot net. Thanks to Ben for joining us
here on the podcast, updating us and you on what
he's doing in San Antonio. You can find out more
about the Masters and Coaching at Athletics administration program that
(31:29):
Ben was a part of and helped him get to
where he's at now in his new elevated role as
athletic director by going to CUI dot ed u slash
Coaching c U I dot ed u slash coaching. Here
we sit in the summer of twenty twenty four. We
got the fall term right around the corner. You can
find out more about that one thousand dollars scholarship for
(31:49):
all your new students CUI dot ed u slash coaching.
See what it's done for Ben helped him as a
better coach and now has helped him elevate to athletic
director role, something he didn't think he'd be earlier in
his coaching and teaching career, but here he is now
doing big things in San Antonio. We thank him for
taking the time and joining us. We also thank you
for listening and watching to the Masters in Coaching podcast.
(32:13):
I am your host, Tim Kats Until next time. Episode
seventy two is now in the books of the Masters
in Coaching Podcasts. So long, everybody,
From a standout high school player to All conference college
football player, to high school football coach to now athletic
director of an entire school district in San Antonio. He
has Ben Ben Avitas and he returns on episode seventy
two of the Masters in Coaching Podcast. Let's go Welcome
(00:24):
into episode seventy two of the Masters in Coaching Podcast
here on iHeartRadio YouTube wherever you are watching our listening.
We certainly appreciate that. Excited to talk to this week's
guest again. He is a repeat visitor here. We're excited
to catch up with Ben Benavitez and find out what
he's doing now. Last time we talked two years ago,
his role was different. He is in a new position
(00:46):
and we're excited to find out what he is doing
now here in the summer of twenty twenty four. Longtime
football coach, former football player and a two time All Conference
player in college at Bethel College. Standout high school football
player and athlete in multiple sports in high school in
the state of Texas when he was a young man.
Longtime football coach, educator, and now in a new role
(01:06):
with the Edgewood Independent School District. Athletic Director, Ben Benavitez
joins us once again here on the Masters and Coaching podcast. Ben,
How you doing.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
I'm doing well? Thank you to him.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Man.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Just life is good right now. It's busy, but it's
a good busy. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Absolutely. Last time we spoke, you were back at your
your alma mater, your high school, JFK High School, and
you were coaching high school football and things were good.
You were going into year five and coming off a
playoff season. And now here we are in the summer
of twenty twenty four and you're in an athletic director
role with the school district. Tell us how you got here.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
So, yeah, I was the head football coach at John
Coney High School for a number of years. Like you said,
that was my high school that I attended. Our athletic
director retired and our assistant athletic director also had moved
on to another location. So the athletic position, the athletic
director position was open here in our district. And uh,
you know, MCAA, you know, and Cocordia kind of prepared me,
(02:04):
you know, from the beginning to the end, and I
felt very prepared to take on that role in you know,
in my in the position here in our district. Uh,
to not just you know, coach you know, athletes at
the point, but now to help coach coaches.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
Is it an athletic director job overseeing just the one
high school? Because I know there's two high schools in
this district? What is that role?
Speaker 2 (02:23):
So as the athletic director for Judized, do I oversee
the entire school district, both high schools, all the middle
schools and I am also director of physical education for
all the elementaries as well.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Oh wow, is this something that has been a daunting
task something you've kind of welcomed?
Speaker 2 (02:39):
What? What? What?
Speaker 1 (02:40):
What has been in What has it been like the
first year here?
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Well, the learning curve you know, of course, you know,
being an athletic coordinator at the high school, you know,
and being a head football coach. You know, the budget.
When you do with the budget, you deal with a
very limited budget for every sport and then for your campus.
But now dealing with the budget for the entire district
was was a big task for me, was trying to
figure out those kind of numbers just because it's so
(03:07):
much more money that's in the entire district budget. So
it was I was as far as going from an
athletic coordinator at one campus to running the entire district.
I was. I felt like I was prepared for everything
except for the budget.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
Now, this is something that's different from what you were
doing because you were coaching, and you were coaching high
school football and you had a passion for that. And
we talked about that on your last visit, about how
you were at Bethel College and you really got the
fire to want to coach, and you come back and
you eventually get back to your high school alma mater
at JFK High School. There because of these positions that
(03:46):
open and the way it kind of lined up was
the timing just right to do it, to step away
from coaching.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
You know, after coaching you know, football for twenty five years,
and you start hitting those last five years of your career.
If you want to do thirty or more, Yeah, you're
in Texas TRS or Texas retirement system.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
And then and I don't really don't want to talk
about money, but at this point in my career, and
that not that I lost the passion for coaching or
for doing football, is that here in Texas they do
the last five the top five pay scales of your
career and then you get a percentage of that for retirement.
So it was you know, kind of a step and
elevation and pay but giving up the coach and they
(04:25):
were gonna have to you know, it was gonna it
was gonna take some money in my opinion, yea to
kick me off the sidelines. But yeah, that first year
was rough, you know, sitting in the gator on the
on the track watching you know, the players play, and
especially the players I've coached in the past, you know,
at one of the high schools and then seeing the
coaches coach and you know, the the passion doesn't leave
(04:46):
that it stays in your gut, you know what I'm saying,
in your heart. But it was it was nice to
see other coaches, you know, elevating their leadership roles because obviously,
you know, being in the MCA program, you know the
matters and coaching and athletic administration. Uh uh, you're at
least the ultimate goal was to become an athletic director. Sure,
but you know, the program did help me become a
(05:06):
better head coach, you know, a better human being, but
a better head coach. But that leadership role kind of
took the next level, and it was nice to see
the next coaches in the line take their leadership roles
and move up as well.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
It's interesting because hearing you talk and the role that
you're in and overseeing high school, middle school, elementary school, uh,
and being a football coach. I don't think there's a
better person to take over this role because you've got
coordinators and you've got assistant coaches. As a head football
coach and stepping into the role you're doing, you now
got to oversee different branches in different schools at different levels.
(05:39):
So it kind of is dissimilar. You're the You're the
head coach of all these these athletic programs. How is that?
How cool is that?
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Yes, it's awesome just because I feel like I've always
been a player's coach and now I feel like I'm
a coach's coach. So and you know, the people that
are in this office, that you know that work underneath
me closely in the in the athletic apartment, they tell
me that, hey, coach, this, you're this athletic director. Office
has never been so busy because people come out, they
(06:07):
sit down, we have conversations, you know, we talk. People
feel comfortable, you know, not asking me for stuff, but
kind of saying, hey, coach, and I was thinking about
doing this. You know, what do you what do you
think we can do with this? We've done it this
way for so long, and that's the O cliche, right,
just because we've always done it that way, it doesn't
mean it's the correct way or the right way to
do things. I said, well, just take a look at it.
You know, it's my year one. You know, We're gonna
(06:27):
do some trials and errors. I'm gonna listen to your advice,
and we're going to try to do things the way
you think might be better for your program or your programs.
And then at the end of the season or the
end of the trial error, I mean the trial thing,
we can look at how it went. Yeah, honestly, I
would say ninety percent of the suggestions that were brought
up by coaches are awesome suggestions, awesome ideas, and we're
(06:50):
gonna step with them during a year two.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
It makes sense to you saying that because the coaches
are the ones in the trenches. The coaches are the
ones out there dealing with the positives of the neg
of their coaching job, and so when they're coming to
you good and bad, there's obviously a need or there's
obviously a want that they're trying to get. Certainly, avery
coach wants all the money. All the coaches want everything
to come to their program. I understand that. But it
(07:13):
makes sense that if you're a coach and you're coming
to you, they're there for a reason, and you know
you can you can kind of you wear different caps
you've been there before as a head coach, knowing like
I get, I understand why you need it for this, this.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
And this exactly so, and just to you know, them
feeling comfortable with me, you know, having a conversation with me,
and nothing against the previous athetic directors. They were awesome.
I mean they were uh, they did such a good
job in our district. I just felt that there was
some sort of I guess a kind of a wall
(07:47):
between yeah, between and it was more it was I mean,
I respected my AD completely, So if I was going
to go to my AD, it was going to be
for a particular situation exactly. It wasn't going to be
just hey, coach, I'm dreaming about trying to do this.
It was like I need this or can you help
me out with this. But now I think that the
correspondence that I have with my coordinators and my head
coaches and even the assistant coaches at both high schools
(08:09):
and the middle schools has helped not only just build
our relationship but also helped their program become better.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
Now that you're a year plus into this role and
this job, are there some things that you want to
maybe start implementing, some things that you're seeing that Okay,
this needs to be universally changed, or I want to
start doing this and maybe kind of put your own
stamp on something moving forward. Has any of those things
risen up?
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Yes? So, as the coordinator and head football coach, I
did a huge character development piece in our program. I
mean that was a weekly thing we did with our program,
not just in season, but we did an off season.
And sometimes that voice in the in the athletes head
where they okay, well, coach is saying, you know, I
should do things this way. Yeah. I kind of wanted
(08:56):
to bring that to my school when I was at
as the coordinator, and I don't think it went as
well over the entire sports system. We're coming into this
for as the athletic director kind of made an initiative
as far as character development goes and the hours that
they do per week and the community service that they
do for each program and in each high school. I mean,
(09:17):
it kind of flourished in both high schools. Now I
haven't got touched in middle schools yet, which I probably
will this year. But it's just the character development piece
and the community service stuff that we picked up and
we did our just last week we did our first
first annual EDGE WITHDD Leadership Summit. So we chose the
cream of the crop as far as not I don't
(09:38):
want to say cream of the crop, but the leaders
from each sport at each high school because we have
two different high schools, brought them together for a leadership summit.
We had about one hundred people here and we had
different leaders come out and speak to our high school leaders.
So what we did was we got three athletes from
one high school, three athletes from the other high scho
(10:00):
we put them on the same table with two coaches
from each high school and we had about fifteen tables
out there and we had conversations and we had team
bonding and the whole theme of the thing was fortifying
our culture. Yeah, because this is our neighborhood, this is
our communities, this is where I'm from, this is where
I grew up, and the coaches ran with it. As
(10:20):
far as the character development goes for the district. The
coaches got together and they ran with it. So I
kind of want to do what I did at a
small level with character development and just that initiative, and
I brought it to the whole district and doing middle
school this year, and also I'm going to bring into
the elementary levels as well.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
How is that received? I mean, it sounds great and
it sounds like something a lot of districts need to
start implementing because it gets dialogue and communication going together
in that community. How was it received?
Speaker 2 (10:52):
It was, It was awesome. I did the survey at
the end of the LOQR code and the survey was
completely positive. I'm not going to be I'm not going
to say I invented this. North Side ISSD, which has
about twenty schools here in San Antonio. They're a separate
school district. There's the ones that kind of started. They
call it beyond the Game. So me and my coordinators
met with Ady stan Leach over there at at Northside
(11:15):
and we said, hey, coach, we love what you do here.
How did you guys implement it? You know what kind
of books that they did? You guys do with kind
of activities, And he walked us through the whole thing.
So we kind of brought it over here. We kind
of follow his lead. But it was awesome. It was
received very well the kids. You know, nothing but positive reviews.
And I think a couple of kids that didn't know
each other, yeah, we now know each other. And then
(11:38):
just the conversations we had. It wasn't just sit down
and take notes. It was we moved around, we did
team bonding and and I think they enjoyed it. Like
I said, the survey was great.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
I think more and poortantly as a father myself, anytime
you get these kids off devices, away from screens and
start getting dialogue going and communication going with people who
maybe they don't necessarily talk to every or go to
school with every day, it makes them better, It makes everything,
make easy situation maybe down the road, who knows. I
think it's just great to get that dialogue going.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Yes, yes, And and some of these kids at that
age are so multiple. I mean they got to hear things,
not just from their parents. They got to hear from coaching.
I mean we've told it all the time, where the
parents says, hey, can you tell us son this. I've
been telling them a hundred times. He does listen to me.
You tell them once and he does it. So just
hearing it from different people, I think that helps, especially,
like I said, with character development, that's that's something that
(12:32):
we talked to. One of the things we talked about
was control the controllables. Obviously your effort, but your attitude
is one thing you can control no matter what the circumstance.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
Last time we spoke, you ingrained a model. In my mind,
hard work pays off. Absolutely, hard work pays off. Are
you still using that in your new role.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
I haven't used it as much in my new role.
It's still my model here, you know, personally, you know
when I wake up in the morning. But when I
went to the high school, I was taught I guess
or like, you got to put your stamp on that
high school. You got to bring in a logo or
a brand of what you want that program to look like.
(13:12):
And that was my model. So now that the new
head coach is there, you know, I let him do
his thing with that new program, and sure, let you know,
kind of let it be his own. You know, he
doesn't need to use my model to even though I
thought it was pretty good. But you know, he's doing
his own thing there, which is great. He's doing great
things there.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
When you look at a young Ben back at Bethel
College and think back to those days, could you ever
thought about this as be the position you're in here
years down the road, having the influence and say over
not only just a football team, but an entire school
district and what they can do and learn and develop
athletically and a you're talking about as a community.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
Well, I mean being a football player at the college level,
I I was kind of living in the moment as
far as playing playing football and trying to you know,
get that that degree going, because you know, classes and
practices are tough, you know, at at the college level.
You know. But I had early influences. I had good coaches,
good you know, good people to look you know, look
mentors and stuff that that saw something in me that
(14:14):
I probably didn't see it myself. I was always curious
why I was voting captain of the teams that I
was the captain since I was a kid, you know,
and every team, you know, when you vote for a captain,
I was always putting that leadership role, you know, as
a captain. And it was because I was, you know,
I was passionate about what I was doing at the time.
And I don't know what sparked that passion to be
(14:36):
a leader, but I just felt like I felt very
comfortable doing it. So, you know, after colleging and you know, coaching,
you know, and just kind of just kind of moved
up the ranks as far as you know, becoming a leader.
And I always told every staff that I was on,
you know, first time we met, I'm not trying to
be arrogant and I'm not trying to be vain, but
I'm going to try to outwork you guys every single day.
(14:57):
I would hope you guys try to do the same
with me. And I would try to work outwork everybody,
you know, whether it was on Saturdays or Sundays or
on the practice field or whatever it is, in front
of kids, in front of them, I just felt like
I wanted to outwork them, and I think that kind
of elevated me to a leadership pro that they said, well,
this guy, you know, he's pretty passionate about what he does.
But I never saw myself as an athletic director until honestly,
(15:20):
I got into the MCA program, when I started seeing
I guess me also still being mouldable at you know,
forty fifty years old, still being able to take things
in and change as a human being and use some
of the things that we did in the program and
putting them to practice, like putting them into my professional
(15:40):
and you know, my daily life. So I don't want
to say this kind of fell into my lap, but
it was an opportunity for me to elevate as a leader,
and honestly, one dred percent, I felt like I was
the perfect person for this position and it kind of
just kind of worked out.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Absolutely, leaders always seem to find a way to rise
up towards the top, and that's exactly what you have
done there now in your new role as athletic director.
Going back to going through the program, the MCAA program,
what eventually led you to start the program? I mean
it takes that first jump to want to pursue that
master's degree. What was it for you to just initially
(16:19):
to say, all right, I'm going to do.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
This So at the time, I was a defensive coordinator
out of high school, and I wanted to become a
head coach. I had already been doing it for a while,
coach a few years in the college level in middle school,
and I was the high school for about eight years.
And I decided, okay, so I want to become a
head football coach. And I felt that having a master's
degree in some sort of sports administration path that it
(16:46):
would kind of help me elevate to that position. Thus,
I wanted, you know, some more knowledge, and I wanted to,
you know, have some leadership and some management skills that
I already had but not at the high highest level.
So also obviously did some research. I mean, I'm in
Texas and looking for an online platform and online program
(17:08):
that I can do. Even though I did go there, wife,
I think for those week long summer programs that we
had there, those were awesome. By the way, the end
of the coaching and.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
The coaching conferences Coaching conference, and I started speaking at
the conference.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
I don't know if you remember, I spoke with people.
I spoke several years at the conference, you know, on
my four to two five defense. But I chose concorded
because it was exactly what I needed at the time,
and it was probably one of the better decisions I've made,
because it's, like I said, it's a master's in coaching
and athletic administration. I'm a coach and now I'm an
athletic administrator. So it was perfectly exactly what I needed.
(17:47):
I just felt, and then once I went to the program,
I think, I'm gonna be honest, maybe one, two, three,
six guys after me when it got their MCA at
Concorda University as well, so they saw how well I
was doing and how much I enjoyed it, and I
pitched completely to them. As a matter of fact, at
every UH, every clinic or conference that we're at and
(18:08):
the MCA has a booth there and I always go
say hi, I take a picture with the people that
are there, and I call people over and say, hey,
you know, this is one of the best programs in
the country. If you guys are really really interested in
doing something or elevating your career, I highly recommend this program.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
You caught my eye on something or my ears. You
said four to five defense, I want to get in.
I want to get into this so your defensive philosophy
and scheme is having five defensive backs.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Now.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
My question for you then is is that because of
the style of play now in football at all levels,
from the a lot of passing. You know, we got
so many guys that are throwing the ball, the run
game has gotten away from a lot of football different levels.
I mean here in California, it's just spread it out.
I mean, the running back might as well be the dinosaur.
It's almost extinct here.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Is that? Is that?
Speaker 1 (18:57):
The reason why is because football is so much passing now?
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Yes, and honesty, I've played mike backer in college in
the four two five dcause back then we call it
the forty nickel, right, we call it the forty nickel, uh,
And I just kind of just tweaked it and geared
it towards a high school level because it's a little
more complex in college. Since since I played in it
and I coached it, I really knew that defense like
the back of my hand, so I kind of tinkered
(19:23):
with it a little bit. I go too high, sometimes
I go with the one. I go one on the
roof for two on the roof, depending on the situation.
If you're gonna be a run heavy team. I'm gonna
go one on the roof one safety. If you're gonna
spread it out on me, I'm gonna go two on
the roof of two safeties. And uh, I just felt
it was so easy for my kids. It was. I mean,
the rules never changed. If you're an overhang outside linebacker,
(19:45):
then you're gonna line up a certain way three by
three or four by four, and this is your read.
You're gonna read the block first and then the back
and then un by the football. So I felt like
it was just easy for my kids to comprehend at
the high school level, and the rules never changed. Is
your alignment, it's your assignment, this is your home and
then you could figure out on film the next day
if they weren't lining up right, if their assignment was misread,
(20:07):
and then they if obviously they didn't read the play correctly.
But I try to keep the responsibilities very, very limited
as far as just gonna go play football. It's play fast,
you know, I don't want you thinking. Line up and go.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
That's the worst thing they could do is start thinking,
because that's when they started making mistakes out there on
the field, and somebody can get.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Hurt, especially fifteen year olds.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Absolutely. Ben Bena Vida is our guest here on episode
seventy two of the Masters and Coaching Podcasts. I want
to fall up a little bit more about football with
you coach. In general, high school football in the state
of Texas is it what the movies Friday Night lights
the TV show make it out to be? Last one out?
(20:51):
Turn the lights off. We're going on a road game
thirty miles away to play another town down the road
home games, everything shuts down, everybody's at game on that
Friday night. Is high school football the absolute king in Texas?
Speaker 2 (21:04):
Absolutely? I would say yes. And it's not just the
way it looks in the movies. I mean that really
happens in those little small towns that that's all they do.
There's football, and the lights do go off, and everybody
goes to state. The only lights on are probably the
stadium lights. It's a little different in the city because
you have, like for example, San Antonio has probably seventy
five high schools, so there are several games going on
in several venues in different stadiums, and but it's not
(21:31):
I mean, you can go to a to a high
school game and I mean even even a small high
school game's gonna have about five six thousand people there
watching a game that's a small high school. If you
go to one of these bigger North Side Northeast high
school games and it's it's in the tens and fifteens,
you know, and it's like it's like a college you know,
(21:52):
it's like a college atmosphere type game. I mean, you
got the entertainment, you got the concessions, you got the fans,
you got the video boards that are unreal. Now you're like,
oh my god, that's not a college level I mean
the college level type video board stuff. That's unbelievable. It
really is, it really is. I mean it's it's it's
If you ever get a chance to watch a high
(22:13):
school friend I gamer in Texas, I highly recommend it.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
I'll go back to last time we spoke. It was interesting,
it sticks with me right now still and talking about
how important it was for you to go back to
your community, to go back to where you're from, the
neighborhoods around your schools, to be an influence one, to
be a leader to and a coach in that area
to help young men. And now you're helping young men
(22:38):
and women in your new role. Is that still something
that's important to you in your new role, not only
just as before a football coach and helping those young men,
but now you're helping kids at the elementary school and
really starting to dive in and pour into them there
and as they progressed through your school district.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Absolutely get they got understand that comes from this neighborhood.
You know, I tell our kids all the time, you know,
don't be who, don't be who they think you are
because we're one of the poorest school districts you know
at one point in the nation. Uh, So they have
a lot of obstacles in front of them. So me
being from the neighborhood literally two miles from my office
where I grew up, I think I have an insight
(23:17):
on on you know, what they're going through, you know
how they're growing up and and just letting them know, hey, hey,
this is a place where it's going to set your foundation.
Uh and it's gonna hopefully you know, make you a
stronger better person because we in this communitee is they're tough.
It's a tough neighborhood, which is which is not a
batter good thing. It's just it's just the way we
(23:38):
grew up. It's the way you know, you grew up.
So you got to be able to take that, you know,
and use it as a tool, a tool on your
tool belt that you can do that, you know, make
yourself stronger, make yourself, you know, move forward. So me
being from the neighborhood, I feel like I can have
an honest conversation with you know, with the athletes, even
the students at the elementary level, saying hey, this is
(23:59):
where I'm from. Uh, And whatever you aspire to do
and do, whatever you feel like you want to do,
you know, it's there. It's there. You just got to
you know, obviously got to make the right choices. Where
the character development piece comes.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
In absolutely absolutely in hiring coaches and hiring teachers and
setting a curriculum. I guess is what you would do
more for the elementary and middle school levels as far
as the sports. How much do you do you look
at character in that character building and trying to find
try to find because nobody's gonna be like you, coach,
(24:31):
but trying to find somebody that's like you, like minded
and the passion you have and and have the same
goals as you have. How how much are you thinking
about that and those kind of hires and and and
structures that you're building at the lower levels.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Well, I mean, I'm hoping that teachers and coach teachers
that coach and coaches that teach, which is you know,
we hire teachers first, obviously, right, so we're you know,
we're we're thanking on you being very good in the class.
You know, because the physical education part teachers is very limited,
right you now one teacher per elementary. You have two
(25:08):
at the middle school and two at the high school.
So I probably have twenty thirty pe teachers. Only it's
getting to that other crowd, the other teachers, so I
have to work with their admin. You know. Vice principals
mostly about trying to implement you know, our two words
or our character amount. If you ever get a chance
to look at Stephen Mackie's two words character development, that's
(25:29):
the program we adopted here in the district. I brought
that in a few years ago. And he also has
an elementary piece to it, so there the high school
kids aren't listening to what the elementary kids are hearing
or scene and vice versa. So getting with the vice principals,
hopefully they can implement this not just in the pe classroom,
but incorporated into their curriculum at the elementary level where
(25:52):
they're hearing it. They're not just hearing it in the gym,
they're also hearing in their classrooms, which takes. Some elementaries
are very very good at it and some are just
kind of lacking because they got so many other things
to do, which I understand, right, But I just think
it's a very important piece and it's going to start
getting into more elementaries as we move forward with this,
And I'm going to put our little video piece. There's
(26:13):
one elementary that does it really really well, So I'm
gonna do a video on them, and I'm gonna send
it to all the other principles say hey, look, this
is what it looks like when it's successful. This is
what it can be at your school if you just
take fifteen to twenty minutes a week, not a day, Right,
that's a weed to get to do this to the program.
I think it have really benefit your kids.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
Then, last time we spoke to two summers ago, you
were getting ready for a football season and you were
I'm pretty sure. It was year five, I think you
were getting at JFK High School, and I said, you know,
where do you see your program in a year? What
do you see your program in five years? And you
you're talking about just com billion on the foundation and
getting better. And here we are two years later and
(26:54):
you're in a completely different role and in a bigger
role with the school district. I'll ask you again, like
we're do you in a couple of years from now
you where do you see yourself? Do you see yourself
in the same role, because you got this fire to
want to continue to build on what you started here
in your first year, in this year, this new role,
where do you see yourself in a few years.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
I honestly still see myself here in my district, in
our district as the athletic director, I see I have
a lot of I have a big vision for the
ethetic department in our district, and I want to see
how far we can get, how far we can push
it as far as getting at to be one of
(27:36):
those athletic departments or those school districts where people come
over here like they did. When I was a high
school coach, I had other coaches come visit me to
see what we were doing in the program, and yeah,
what we're doing defensity our scheme wise. You know, I
wanted this to be a place where people come and say,
you know what they're doing things right over there, man,
that's awesome. Look at how successful they're doing at this.
I want to go talk to those coaches and see
(27:59):
what they're doing. It's working. Because I have several mentors
right now that have been the athletic director roles for
a very very long time. Some are retired and they're
doing When they were athletic directors, they were doing great things.
And you know, coaches are the biggest thieves and when
it comes to like ideas from other people, absolutely, So,
like I said, we saw the one for the summit,
(28:20):
we saw it from northside and and there's a coach,
coach Leal the ad at in the valley. He does
some awesome things as far as like elementary track meets
and and we did special Olympics track meets las year.
But I the elementary TrackMan, I want to bring that
back and I want to make sure that's something that
that the community looks forward to. So, like I wanted
(28:40):
to be one of those district where people call us
and say, how'd you guys get that done? Or what
did you guys do over here? Or I saw that
That look pretty awesome. Man. We want to implement the
same thing in our in our district and we have
a conversation. That's where I see ourselves in a few
years from now.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
That's awesome. I mean on side. The school district I
grew up in here in southern California is a smaller
school district outside of l And And in elementary school,
they had the track meets. And there's eight middle eight
elementary schools right right around there, and they had a
track meet. In middle school, there's three middle schools, and
we had flag football games and volleyball tournaments and and
different things. And you get to know other kids, and
(29:14):
you grow up playing sports with the kid who maybe
goes to a different middle school, but you get to
play against them, but you're gonna go to the same
high school because you feed in there together and you
get to see them again and play against them again,
and the competition and then you get to grow up
with them in the next four years in high school.
It's it's something I think is lost, especially it gets
lost when you have a huge school district that can't
do that obviously and just don't have the money or
(29:35):
funding or time to do it. But I love that idea.
I love the fact to get these kids, you know,
started at a young age is absolutely awesome.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
Yeah. And then and the coaches love it and the
kids love it, and then you said just bring them
together for you know, for any competition. Yep.
Speaker 1 (29:51):
Yeah, Well, Ben, I appreciate the time. Great to catch
up with you. The fact that here we are as
a repeat guest. I I get it. I see why
because you were taking your football program to one level
and here you are now as an athletic director taken
to another level and just hearing you talk about and
I can see the wheels spinning about where you're gonna
(30:12):
be in a few years, Like, I got a lot
of things I want to do, and you've got a fire,
You've got a passion, and man, if I'm in this
school district right now, I'm fired up to have you
as one of the leaders because I know, I know
big things are coming and good things are going to
be happening at all levels from elementary to high school.
So continue success you're doing great stuff. I love to
(30:32):
hear what you're doing. I know our listeners and viewers
are excited to catch up and see what you're doing
down there in San Antonio. So again, thanks for joining
us again on the podcast.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
Thank you so much. And if anybody has any questions,
if they want to follow up me, you know, if
you can give them my information, I'd be more than
glad to help them.
Speaker 1 (30:47):
Well, there he goes Ben benavetas Edgewood Independent School District
Athletic Director. If you'd like to reach out to him,
find out more, learn more, or just pick his brain
because you've got a lot of great ideas. Benjamin dot
Benavetas at E I s D dot net. Benjamin dot
b E n A v I d e s at
(31:08):
EI s D dot net. Benjamin dot Benevitas at EI
s D dot net. Thanks to Ben for joining us
here on the podcast, updating us and you on what
he's doing in San Antonio. You can find out more
about the Masters and Coaching at Athletics administration program that
(31:29):
Ben was a part of and helped him get to
where he's at now in his new elevated role as
athletic director by going to CUI dot ed u slash
Coaching c U I dot ed u slash coaching. Here
we sit in the summer of twenty twenty four. We
got the fall term right around the corner. You can
find out more about that one thousand dollars scholarship for
(31:49):
all your new students CUI dot ed u slash coaching.
See what it's done for Ben helped him as a
better coach and now has helped him elevate to athletic
director role, something he didn't think he'd be earlier in
his coaching and teaching career, but here he is now
doing big things in San Antonio. We thank him for
taking the time and joining us. We also thank you
for listening and watching to the Masters in Coaching podcast.
(32:13):
I am your host, Tim Kats Until next time. Episode
seventy two is now in the books of the Masters
in Coaching Podcasts. So long, everybody,
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