TAMPA, Fla. — Dan Sidwell has spent nine years as the journalism teacher at Freedom High School.

Sidwell is teaching his students how to share people’s stories. And, also as the school’s yearbook adviser, he’s helping them share their own.

“The yearbook is probably what I love teaching most,” Sidwell said. “The kids design it from cover to cover.”

As the school’s newspaper adviser, he teaches a journalism class to ESE students. His other passion is coaching the golf team.

“It’s been awesome,” he said. “I have a great, great team. I have great kids.”  

It’s his seventh year as coach. He played in high school and now he’s helping the next generation of golfers.

“We were able to get a bunch of donations for bags for clothes for clubs,” he said. “I’ve got all these clubs, so if we have kids that don’t know how to play or need extra clubs, we’ve got stockpiles of them.”

Sidwell says he’s hopeful his students and the athletes he coaches will leave high school with skills they’ll always use.

“They learn a lot of life skills,” Sidwell said. “My leaders, they learn how to lead, both on the golf team and in the classroom.”