"Coach" Potter
Coach Potter was not an actual coach, but that was the title he received during his time working at Trinity. He was beloved by his student-staff and respected by his colleagues. Potter received the nickname partially due to one of his main philosophies: teaching student-staff members valuable skills. When speaking with Jim Potter I discovered that he believed the student-staff members of the intramural department should have as much responsibility as possible (Personal Interview, 2018). He wanted them to learn valuable skills that would help them in their jobs after college. After speaking with Dr. Jacob Tingle, current Director of Experiential Learning, (who still refers to Jim Potter as coach, nearly 30 years after working for him) and reading articles in The Trinitionian from student-staff members of Potter, it was evident that the admiration for him was due to the respect and kindness he gave his student employees. According to Tingle “‘Coach’ was an unbelievable mentor” (Personal Interview, 2018). In an article written by one of his student employees, Niki Herbert she stated, “Coach epitomizes both a great boss and a wonderful friend. In the few years I have known him, he has taught me what it means to be responsible” (Potter Gold, 2000). In my interview with Potter he shared with me that some of his former student-staff members were able to get full-time jobs after graduation in higher education sport directing. Potter impacted their lives and taught them valuable lessons to be applied in all forms of work.