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When Dennis Doherty began working at WHS two years ago as a guidance counselor, he was no stranger to the students or the staff at the school.
Doherty grew up in Wayland with his four brothers and was a member of the WHS Class of 1992.
In addition to his past as a student, Doherty has also been the boys’ basketball coach since 2008. Before coaching at Wayland, Doherty coached at Arlington Catholic High School for two years and Weston High School for five.
“I grew up having a real passion for basketball, and I started playing basketball when I was in third grade in the Wayland recreational programs. I also played at Wayland High,” Doherty said. “After I got out of college, I started coaching in youth leagues around here in Wayland, and it took off from there.”
During the school day, Doherty serves as a guidance counselor.
“I love being a guidance counselor, and I love being a coach,” Doherty said. “I see myself as an educator whether I’m in my sneakers on the sideline at practice, or I’m in my office in the guidance department, and I try to help my students and my athletes as best I can, inside and outside of school.”
By being a coach and a counselor, Doherty has found similar ways to give advice to both players and students.
“Something I try to do every single day, whether it’s related to basketball or it’s related to guidance, is to look at an entire person,” Doherty said. “So when a student is in my office, they’re not just a WHS student; they’re a 15-year-old or an 18-year-old. They’re a person. When I look at my players, they’re not just players. They’re people. They’re human beings, and it’s really important for me to see that entire person.”
Although it can become complicated for Doherty when his two jobs become intertwined, he tries to value the differences between the professions.
“When I have a student in my office who is also a basketball player, obviously I am playing several different roles in his or her life, as a counselor and a coach, but there is a lot of value in separating those roles because they are different,” Doherty said.
max brande • Feb 10, 2014 at 1:44 PM
this is awesome