PE teacher reflects on career path

RITZVILLE – After graduating from Western Washington University a few years ago, Joseph Roach completed his student teaching in Cashmere.

The 25-year-old didn’t plan to leave.

But teacher Karin Blomquist — one of many mentors he credits with encouraging him on his journey — suggested he apply to Lind-Ritzville High School.

Her encouragement led Roach to put his hat in the ring.

As a result, Lind-Ritzville High School gained a new, energetic physical education/health teacher last fall.

From Roach’s birthplace in White Sands, N.M., his family moved to the Quincy and Wenatchee area; he attended Eastmont High School in East Wenatchee.

After years of playing soccer, football became his first love.

“I expected to play football professionally. It was a classic kid mentality,” he said. “But when I injured my knee — three games into my senior season — I was done. I had no idea what I was going to do.”

A series of mentors provided encouragement.

“I was close with the team’s quarterback, Nick McGill, and his family,” he said. “Both his parents were teachers.”

McGill’s mother was Roach’s health teacher in middle school. His dad, Doug McGill, was Roach’s high school physical education teacher.

Because Roach took PE classes from eighth-grade through high school, including two stints as a teacher’s assistant, he spent many days with the elder McGill.

“After I injured my knee, Mr. McGill sat me down and said, ‘You know, there’s more to life than football,’” he said, noting that talk inspired Roach and eventually led him to pursue a teaching career.

After graduating high school in 2016, Roach earned his associates degree in Wenatchee, then transferred to Western Washington University in Bellingham.

He completed an undergraduate degree in secondary education with an endorsement in PE and health, a course of study that included kinesiology and anatomy.

Having come from bigger schools, Roach faced some new challenges at Lind-Ritzville.

“For me, it was a big step to be the only PE teacher,” he said. “But I enjoy working with youth. I like the challenge of building leaders and preparing them for real life.”

Roach approaches his job from a teaching orientation. To him, that means connecting activities to standards, rules, and strategies — working to make the curriculum meaningful.

“Everyone doesn’t have the same skill or ability — the talent, speed, or size — to compete successfully in sports,” he said. “But most can learn good sportsmanship and focus on standards and strategies.”

He acknowledged the challenge of motivating students these days.

“Motivation is down, and I think that often stems from a lack of strong male role models,” he said. “There is less respect for authority, something kids used to learn from participating in sports.”

He also noted young people can make money in ways unavailable just a few years ago. “Teenagers can become professional video gamers or streamers, for example,” he said. “As a result, fewer kids are involved in sports and other physical activities.”

Roach has an older brother who majored in music performance at Central Washington University and lives in Wenatchee. During the summer, his brother helps conduct the “Sound of Music” production in Leavenworth.

“He’s a musical savant,” Roach said of his brother. “He plays piano, saxophone, clarinet, percussion, everything. He even sings. He wants to complete his education degree so he can start teaching. For now, he’s working and saving money.

“When we were growing up, he played instruments all the time. Sax playing in our apartment was pretty loud.”

Roach notes that he and his brother are polar opposites. “He doesn’t like anything athletic and I’m not engaged in the musical sphere, but we get along very well,” he said.

Roach praised his Lind-Ritzville supporters, including high school principal Kevin Terris and teacher Allison Nichols.

“Over the years, I’ve had many great mentors, and I’m glad to be a part of this community,” he said.