Published: July 07, 2009 01:35 pm      

Chavez leaving Cleburne ISD to coach at Rio Vista

A lifetime Cleburne Yellow Jacket, from his public school athletic playing days to his 16-year teaching career, Paul Chavez is leaving Cleburne ISD to become an assistant varsity coach in football, baseball and basketball at Rio Vista High School under new head coach Craig Carpenter.

Chavez was a standout baseball and football player at Cleburne High in the mid 1980s. His pressure punt from the end zone helped seal the Yellow Jackets’ 10-0 playoff win over Monahans in 1983. He was a defensive back and backup quarterback in ’83 and ’84. As an all-county shortstop in baseball, he teamed with second baseman Stephen Hafford to give the Yellow Jackets a reliable double-play combination in ’84 and ’85. He was a point guard in basketball.

At Irving Elementary School, Chavez served as a bilingual teacher his first year, then an elementary physical education teacher for two more. After one year at Cooke Elementary in physical education, he returned to Irving, where he taught kindergarten through fifth grade PE the last two years. He also served as a volunteer assistant coach in baseball in the ’90s at Cleburne High under his uncle, Mike Chavez.

He found his niche at Irving, he said, because of his passion for little kids.

“The hardest part of this is leaving the kids here,” Chavez said. “I love them like they’re mine. I wanted to be the father figure for those who didn’t have one. I wish I’d had the opportunity to tell them how much I’ll miss them.”

Gay Green, Cleburne ISD director of bilingual education, praised Chavez.

“A person of his quality is almost irreplaceable,” she said. “We have a summer school program for bilingual and ESL (English as a second language) students entering kindergarten and first grade, and he taught in that for several summers even after he became a PE teacher. His talents are not only in physical education but also as a positive role model.

“The loss to the school district and to students at Irving is great. Hopefully, after he gets experience in another school district, he’ll have an opportunity to return to Cleburne ISD someday.”

No job was too big or small for Chavez, CISD community relations director Lisa Magers said.

“Paul was all about kids,” she said. “He did phenomenal things in the classroom to motivate them. He always encouraged them to dream. He always saw the big picture. I wish him all the best, but I will miss him terribly.”