A Message for the Coaching Fraternity: Invest in your Health

The year of the COVID-19 Pandemic is resoundingly the toughest year for teachers. But what about Coaches in general? Coaches serve their community educating in and outside of the classroom. The stresses and health ramifications have heightened since the start of the pandemic. However, coaches know there are potential health ailments in their body’s ready to unleash havoc, only to be caused by sleep deprivation, stress, diet, lack of exercise, and other internal and external factors.

Enter Coach Albert Torres, Harlandale High School Head Football Coach/Athletic Coordinator. In July of 2020, Torres suffered a stroke that set-back his life significantly. In the aftermath, Torres had to relearn the things taken for granted like walking, seeing, and touching. His perseverance and the rigors of rehab were the catalyst of making a strong comeback. As the year anniversary of the stroke nears, Torres has made tremendous strides in the recovery process.

“I wouldn’t say that I’m 100%, but I am getting close to it,” reveals Torres. “I think that those times spent riding the bike actually helped speed up the recovery process,” said Torres.

Along with a positive outlook on his recovery, Torres has high hopes that maybe this message can help ignite a positive trend of actions leading to healthier choices for coaches.

Albert Torres, Head Football Coach of Harlandale High School; Photo by David Flores, KENS5

Burning the Candle at both Ends:

How do coaches get to an unhealthy state? When you commit yourself to your goals and a exemplary work ethic, sometimes the collateral damage is sacrificing time for you. Stan Laing, Executive Director of Northside ISD once said, “how can one serve if you can’t invest time in yourself?” For Torres and others that have had health ailments, burning the candle at both ends can be a dangerous proponent of self-neglect. In a vicious cycle of compound interest, the bad habits repeated and the good habits ignored are a recipe to a list of documented mental and physical health conditions.

Prioritize being a better version of you:

Shaun Tyrance, Team Clinician and Professional Counselor of the Kansas City Chiefs once talked about the correlation of performance and health. “Athletes and Coaches who are mentally and physically healthy will perform better at their job,” states Tyrance. In response to the health scare, Torres has responded to the challenge in prioritizing self-care. The following are values that Torres prioritizes in his health resurgence:

1. Family – Be there for your family. “I’m working” cannot be an excuse to miss anniversaries, family dinners, birthdays, and downtime. Work to be efficient and prioritize family. This is a staple of balance.

2. Nutrition – Stope prioritizing late night nachos in a scouting game. Be smart about what you put into your body because compounded over time, your body will repay what you feed into it.

3. Exercise – Torres is an avid cyclist and usually does 16-mile rides on the Mission Bike Trails near the San Antonio River. Torres usually has fellow coaches and family members join him on his ride which makes this ideal to be inclusive and allows for bonding time with people you care about.

These changes are tough to turn into permanent habits. Yet the alternative is looking at a shorter lifespan, or worse, for men and women that make a career in control, loss of control to debilitating health is a hell that no coach wants to live through. Over the years, the community has lost respected peers to health ailments. Controlling your health narrative is the best way to counterattack. In a selfless angle, Torres is willing to share his vulnerabilities to ensure that coaches get the message, invest in your health.

Coaching profile:

Torres has risen to the top of his profession leading the Harlandale High School Indians. He became the Offensive Coordinator for Jefferson High School at the age of 27. At age 43, Torres earned the opportunity to lead a highly respected program at Harlandale after serving his Alma Mater, Edison High School for 10 years as their Head Football Coach. The San Antonio ISD alum is a grinder, an organized Servant Leader, and a person committed to excellence for the communities he serves.

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