Posted by By Maeve Eisenhandler, Staff Writer
Brooke Graham, 33, is an accomplished physical education teacher at New Paltz High School. She is loved in all the aspects of her life, as a teacher, coach, and mom. She has a smile that can make anyone feel better, and you can often find her either sharing a laugh with students or repping out bicep curls in the wellness center.
Coach Graham, as she has come to be known, was in the New Paltz School District for all of K-12, and started her star-studded athletic career right here as well. She played volleyball and basketball throughout high school, but her true love is softball. In her sophomore and senior year, she was chosen for the “two-time Mid-Hudson Athletic League selection,” and received the MVP award at Fastpitch Nationals. She was also selected as MHAL player of the year her senior season. During her junior and senior years of high school, though, like many others, she started to contemplate what she wanted to major in.
When she realized that she could combine teaching and the sports world “it was a no-brainer”.
“I first kind of toyed with the idea of something in the sports world: sports management, sports medicine, physical therapy, I even got into some schools for biology. I really loved movement and body mechanics,” Graham says.
When she realized that she could combine teaching and the sports world “it was a no-brainer”. Ultimately, she ended up settling on physical education at St. Bonaventure University and played on their collegiate team as a D1 softball player.
“[I] loved it: [I]miss it,” Graham says. She spent her time on the field at first base, in the outfield, and catching.
During her time at St. Bonaventure, not only did she make a name for herself in American softball, but in Australian softball as well. As a junior in college, she got the opportunity to play for a USA international team along with a few of her other teammates.
“It was just a really cool opportunity coming from a small town like New Paltz to then go play at bigger universities.” Graham remarks “it was really a great experience for me.”
She said that having the familiarity of teammates was helpful, but she also enjoyed getting out of her comfort zone and traveling to a new place. Graham remembers this as one of her favorite memories from college softball, but this doesn’t nearly scratch the surface.
In particular a memory that came to mind was when she was in Buffalo. She had parked in an overnight lot because they were going to be gone for some time. As she was pulling out of the parking space, BAM! She hits a car that she can’t see.
“It was horrible, and it was all my fault. I was crying. I was hysterical; it was my mom’s car. I was a sophomore at the time.”
Nonetheless, she got on the bus to go to Buffalo with her coaches reassuring her that they would figure it out when they got back. During their game vs. Canisius, she hit two home runs, and her team won the game. Her coach declared that she would have to hit a car every time they had an away game.
“My nickname crash for a little bit, but that was fine”. As Graham reflects on her memory, she says, “I just remember the intensity of those moments, but if it works out, it’s just invigorating, and there is nothing else like those feelings.”
Graham has been playing softball for the majority of her life; naturally, there will be some days that are not as good as you want them to be. “It was our last couple of games of my senior year, and I had been slumping pretty hard,” Graham says. Her coach had asked her if she was willing to switch up her position to shortstop to help fill some of the gaps between some of her other teammates. She happily obliged because she wanted to do anything that was going to help the team. Her team was at Temple, and she had already struck out twice. To get some moral support, she went to talk to her stepdad.
“I remember I was so mad, and I was crying and talking to my stepdad, and then I ended up kicking the fence,” Graham says. “My cleat got caught, and I was just so mad, and then my stepdad just started laughing at me”. At this moment, she remembers just feeling as if she had hit rock bottom. She knew her priorities, laughed it off with her stepdad, and got back to work on the field. Despite this, her love for softball carried on.
Coach Graham facilitating a volleyball practice for the 2023 JV team.
After her softball career, she has since moved on to teaching physical education, and coaching softball, and volleyball at New Paltz High School. She strives every day to bring “realness” to her students because she believes it is important for her students to see.
“Whatcha see is whatcha get! I want to have a pretty good relationship with my students,” Graham says.
Believe me, she is. She is a coach anyone would be lucky to have.
The Maroon 