This year, Beau Morki became the new Head of Athletics. A new Head of Athletics signifies a new strategy for Hewitt sports. I sat down with Coach Morki to talk about his experiences with sports, as well as some of his plans for the future of Hewitt’s athletics program.
Hewitt Times: How did you become interested in coaching?
Beau Morki: Well, I went to Fordham University and at lunch in the commons, there was a flyer for a coaching position at Fordham Prep. High School and that was what really sparked my interest. Then that first year when I was coaching, we won the city championship and that was it. I was bitten by the coaching bug at that point and I’m still in touch with those players today about 18 years later.
HT: What sports did you play and which were you the most passionate about?
BM: I’m really passionate about all sports. In high school I played four years of soccer, three years of American football, three years of basketball, lacrosse, tennis, and I ran track and field. I also played soccer in college. I went to three different high schools and each of those schools had different sports in different seasons. That really allowed me to get a taste of everything.
HT: What are your long-term goals for Hewitt’s athletic program?
BM: If Hewitt can inspire some of our students to have a passion for sports, that will transfer into all other aspects of their life. Then I will be a happy athletic director. Also, a few state championships wouldn’t hurt.
HT: How do you think we will reach these goals?
BM: It always starts with commitment. Our coaching needs to improve and our students need to push each other to become better. Our programs from lower school to upper school need to be more aligned, in addition to increasing and improving off season training.
HT: What are some of the changes you are anticipating in the near future in the athletics program?
BM: I am already seeing a higher level of commitment, which I’m happy about, but we can always do better. I’m anticipating a larger percentage of participation across the board from students trying sports that maybe they never thought they could be good at. An immediate change I have noticed has been school spirit around athletics, which has improved. That could be a flame that burns brightly through the school from kindergarten up.
HT: How do you define success for yourself?
BM: When I know our students are passionate or have gained a new passion for what they are doing in athletics and in the school, then I will have been successful. If I can inspire them to push past their limits, then I will have been successful and happy.
HT: Have you had any failures in your athletic career? What have you learned from those experiences?
BM: I have had much more failures than successes in my athletic career. I’ve lost many more games than I have won. You learn more from a loss than you do from a win. I had to lose three state championships as a player and a coach before I won my first two, which taught me to fully commit myself.
HT: Feedback is the theme at Hewitt for this year, so what kind of role do you think feedback plays in sports?
BM: Our coaches have been and will be evaluating our players. Our coaches will be evaluated as well, and given feedback on their progress. Simultaneously, I would like us to get to a point where our athletes are able to evaluate our coaches, creating a feedback loop that fosters improvement.