Head swimming coach Emily Nightingale takes on her first year on campus after growing up in the area.                                          

“I grew up here,” Nightingale said. “I went to Lovejoy High School and I’ve been swimming competitively since I was four. I ended up getting a scholarship to swim at New Mexico State in Las Cruces, spent four years there, and now I’m here. I had a swim coach, Brent Mitchell, who really inspired me to become a coach, even though it may not be easy, I just love helping and being active and helping kids be active as well. Our goal is not so much winning as it is working hard and getting better as a team. I enjoy helping my kids both in swimming and in life, whatever they may be.”

Another staff member new to the head coaching position is Ben Manning, an assistant football and basketball coach last year who is now the head  coach for the boys cross country team.

“So I grew up in Fort Worth, and graduated from Texas Tech,” Manning said. “I come from a family of educators. I could go down the list: Grandparents, parents, brothers, etc. But they all gave me an influence to go into teaching, and coaching.”

Manning works not only as the head cross country coach, but also as an assistant boys basketball coach and a world history teacher.

“I think the people I work with enable me to juggle it all,” Manning said.

For Wingspan TV, I’m Carter Brock.