WJ’s very own English teacher Alexis Phares has stepped up as the newest track coach just in time for the winter sports seasons to kick off. Phares cannot wait to join the WJ athletic community as she takes over as sprints, jumps and hurdles assistant coach.
Following the resignation of the previous hurdles and jumps coach Casi McFarland in the middle of the 2023 spring season, track and field coaches and runners have been on the search for a new coach prior to the winter track season. Just three weeks before tryouts began, Phares stepped in and took up the jump and hurdles coach position.
“She’s really smart and she brings a new perspective. One of the most important things for our athletes is that we have as many eyes on them to spot things that we can improve and she will add to that,” track coach Tom Martin said.
Although she hasn’t coached a sport at WJ before, Phares is familiar with the sport which has been a part of her life since she began to run track and field in high school and completely fell in love with the sport. Following her high school career, Phares continued to run on a recreational team in college.
“I did cross country in the fall and then in the winter and spring, I would run sprints and jumps. I usually did the 200 and the 400 and then the triple jump. I also did long jump for a year but I wasn’t very good at it,” Phares said.
After graduating from college, Phares began her professional career at a school in Orlando, Florida, where she took up a position as a cheer coach. Although the sports are wildly different, the experience was still valuable to Phares as it made her realize how much she appreciates and values an athletic community.
“When I taught down in Florida I coached cheerleading during my first two years of teaching. I just kind of fell in love with coaching in general and the connection you make to students, the athletes and everything that’s incorporated into that community,” Phares said.
Following her position as a cheerleading coach, Phares switched schools and sports as she began to coach track and field and cross country at a middle school. Although the position wasn’t as intense as that of a high school track coach, her time at the middle school taught her how to specifically observe and instruct runners from various events and distances, all of which is being carried over to WJ’s program.
“When I moved up here to Walter Johnson I knew I wanted to coach and I was willing to coach…because I just wanted to be back in the athletic community… When the track opportunity presented itself it helped that I had that connection from running track and it was a sport I loved and cared about,” Phares said.
The track community is excited to welcome Phares to the coaching staff as they take on the winter track season. Although it will be an adjustment, many think that she’ll be a perfect fit for the team and will contribute greatly to the successful program.
“I have Ms. Phares as a teacher and in the classroom and she’s very good at helping her students develop individually, so I have no doubts that she’ll do the same for the track team,” junior Megan Raue said.
