Drew Halvorsen, Health 2, Sports Psychology teacher and basketball coach, loves sports. They have always been a part of his life since he was young and still are now. For him, it’s his career and what he plans on doing his whole life. His career might be new to him, but Albany, Oregon isn’t. He grew up here and after a little bit of time, he went back to the very school he used to attend when he was young.

     When and where were you born and raised?

I was raised in Albany. I went to West Albany High School, Memorial Middle School and Lafayette Elementary School. I Graduated in 2001, so I would go to school in the late 90s, early 2000’s.

     Did you involve yourself in sports when you were younger?

Absolutely. So I played basketball and football in high school. Growing up, I played baseball, basketball, and football, but when I went to high school, I specialized more in basketball and football. Yeah, sports have always been a big part of my life.

     How did you get into basketball as a career?

 After I graduated, I did some things that aren’t teaching or coaching. I just always really loved sports and wanted to go back into it. I thought about what could help me become a better coach, and something that helped me become a better coach was being a teacher, and being able to teach students life skills — not only things that involve sports, and so I decided to get into teaching so that I would become a better coach.

     How is the season going?

For the JV team, the season’s been going really well. We’ve only lost one game to the Tigers. We’ve won every other game. So we got some really good talent and some guys that do well playing on the JV team.

     How do you balance your teacher and coach life?

I feel that being a coach is just like being a teacher, so they involve a lot of the same teaching methods. It just comes natural to me, and I try to balance drawing as a basketball coach and a teacher to the best of my ability, and it’s also important for me to have some outside time as well.

     What’s the season been like during the pandemic?

With the pandemic, it’s been pretty rough. There are a lot of rules and regulations we have to follow that make it a little bit tougher. We’re excited for the privilege of being able to play basketball. If I have to wear a mask to play basketball, I’m happy to. We will do whatever we need to make sure we can have a safe and healthy basketball season.

     Do you plan on doing this for the rest of your life, or do you have bigger goals?

Absolutely. I’ll be a coach the rest of my life until I become an athletic director. I will teach and coach probably until they kick me out or until they tell me I can’t do it any more.