Coach teaches life skills on courts, keyboards
Kris Holman is one of Canyon High’s newest teachers, teaching business information management (BIM) and coaching tennis.
More than a 1000 miles south from where he started, teacher and coach Kris Holman now finds himself surrounded by the quiet clacking of computer keys.
Business information management (BIM) teacher and tennis coach Kris Holman came to Canyon High School after teaching for a year at the junior high. Holman grew up in Chicago, started college at Western Illinois University then attended college at Panhandle State University in Oklahoma. He began teaching in Wakita, where he was the head basketball coach and business teacher. At one point, Holman took a 10-year break from education to follow his father’s footsteps into a career in finance.
“I was a financial advisor for Morgan Stanley,” Holman said. “It was just something my dad was in and I always had an interest in it so I decided to try it. I probably would have stayed, but teaching was a little more stable so I got back into teaching and coaching.”
Holman said he was drawn to Canyon with the promise of coaching.
“Coach Gonzales wanted me to come be his assistant for the tennis team,” Holman said. “I really wanted to coach again. Hopefully, we can win state this year.”
Having had a lot of experience playing sports in school, Holman said he was very excited to get back into coaching.
“In high school, I played basketball, baseball and football,” Holman said. “I played football in college, and that’s why I transferred from Western Illinois to Panhandle State.”
Not just a coach on the court, Holman said he wants his students to take away life skills from his computer classes.
“I really just want to give them real life situations, especially in BIM, where they can use this in about any job,” Holman said. “In our BIM classes we are trying to get many certified in Word, Excel, Access and Powerpoint. They are going learn, but really, I try to teach more life lessons that are going to affect the rest of their lives instead of just this year and next year.”
Holman said he has enjoyed both teaching and coaching at Canyon High.
“I’ve coached everything from football to basketball,” Holman said. “Now I’m coaching tennis here. It’s about building relationships with your kids, whether in the classroom or on a field.”
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