White to be honored for many seasons of dedication

A new group of Godwin athletes and coaches will be inducted into the Godwin Athletic Hall of Fame, a tradition started in 2012 meant recognize the best athletes and coaches that have  represent Godwin.

One inductee included in the 2018 Hall of Fame is geometry teacher Rob White, whose athletic resume consists of coaching both Varsity Girls soccer, Varsity Girls basketball as well as Boys Basketball at Godwin.

White coached soccer from 1991-2008, Girls Basketball from 1992-2002, and Boys Basketball from 1990-1992. He won three District titles as Girls Basketball coach, and 14 District titles as Girls Soccer Coach. As the Girls soccer coach, White also won four Regional titles.

The other inductees for this year are Michelle Foley, Lindsey Rowe, Kempler Towler, Jamie Tyson, Joe Tyson, Brent Wilkins, Matt Wolak, Ray Broughton, and Turner Broughton.

White held three different coaching positions throughout his time in Godwin athletics: head coach of Varsity Girls Soccer for 18 years, head coach of Varsity Girls Basketball for 10 years, and assistant Varsity Boys Basketball coach for two years.

White’s highlight of his coaching  years was experiencing and watching as his  players grew and developed even after leaving Godwin. He especially is pleased to see his former players working as both teachers and coaches at Godwin now.

“As much as anything, coaching Coach Toole and Coach Watson at Godwin, and then watching them come back to teach and coach here. Huge Smile!” White said.

Often times a person is a completely different person as a coach and as a teacher. Not White, though, who said, “I’m pretty much the way I am whether I’m teaching or coaching.”

His biggest goals for both teaching his athletes and his students are for them to “support each other, and, number two, for them to represent Godwin with honor.”

White has completed a  total of 30 seasons at Godwin and is now being recognized for those accomplishments.

“[It is a] wonderful honor, but it’s more of a reflection on the talented athletes I coached than on me,” said White.

Former football coach Ron Axselle, who was inducted into the Godwin Athletic Hall of Fame with the class of 2012, was the athletic director at Godwin in the 1991. Axselle had a strong influence on White’s decision  to begin coaching at Godwin, and White appreciated that Axselle put as much focus on the girls’ sports as he did the boys’ sport teams .

“Coach Ron Axselle was a persuasive athletic director when I interviewed. He made the school seem like a big family, and he was right,” said White.

White’s coaching career began long before he started coaching at Godwin. White coached at a private, all boys school called Blue Ridge School. He coached soccer, basketball, and track at Blue Ridge School from 1986 to 1988.

One of White’s fondest memories from all his years of coaching is when his teams would beat Freeman high school.  White believes that this is a memory that was  appreciated among all athletes, coaches, staff, and especially students at Godwin:.

White also said that he fondly remembers having, “Big laughs with assistant coaches, players, and managers. [and] also watching my former players/managers become wonderful adults.”

White thanks many people who have helped him get to where he is and for helping him have such a great time coaching at Godwin.

“A big Thanks from me to [former Godwin principal] Dr. DeBolt, and Coach Axselle for giving me the chance in 1990 [to coach], and to all my wonderful assistant coaches and j.v. coaches, and most of all my wife for always supporting me,” said White.

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