A dedicated coach, a dedicated team

Coach Demarie Brown has been at Armijo, coaching the Boys’ Wrestling team for years, but he started at Franklin High School in Elk Grove (2007-2009) before moving on to Stagg High School in Stockton (2009-2011). For the next two years, he was at Hiram Johnson High School (2011-2013).

While he spends his time during Wrestling season giving good advice, he spends the school year as an English, Social Science and PE  teacher at Sem Yeto.

Becoming a coach was a gradual process. “My old high school wrestling coach asked if I would like to come in and show a few moves and technique a couple of times. It grew from there and I became rather attached to the wrestlers and just decided to try my hand at coaching Junior Varsity at Franklin High School,” said Coach Brown.

He was a wrestler himself for seven years, starting in seventh grade and going through to his first year at Sacramento City College. Over the years, he changed weight classes three times: 9th grade, 145 lbs.; 10^th, 152 lbs.; 11th and 12^th grades, 160lbs; and college- 171 lbs.

Wrestling was one of the many sports that was affected by the pandemic.  COVID made the season “extremely trying and difficult. Last year we had a six-week season. It was different going from a four-month season to an abbreviated season. I think the things that made it difficult were the bi-weekly COVID testing, contact tracing, the lack of spectators in the stands, and, of course, the mask you need to wear when not actively wrestling. It’s hard to give instructions with a mask on,” he said. It was also difficult to not have food for the wrestlers to eat. “Wrestlers love to eat!”

This year has already been challenging, but for different reasons. “I live all the way in Sacramento and mostly take the train to Suisun, so my days starts at 5 am and doesn’t end until I arrive home at 8 pm,” Coach Brown said. “Needless to say, it can really do a number on your body.”

If someone was considering going into coaching, he would encourage that person to make sure that it is for all the right reasons. “Coaching demands a lot more than just teaching technique or developing skills,” he said. “You must wear many different hats. You must be whatever the situation calls for. One day it might be being a listener, a big brother or sister, a counselor, a teacher, a guardian or parent. Also don’t expect it to be a good coach right off the bat. It takes time to get it right and to find your level. I am a different coach and person than I was when I first started coaching in 2007 and I’d like to think that is for the better.” In spite of the changes, there is one person who has been like his other half, his twin sister, without whom he said he would be lost.

If he could change one thing about Armijo, he zeroed in on something very specific. “I would love to have a dedicated wrestling room just for wrestling. Don’t get me wrong I am grateful to have the small gym. But it would be nice to have a room set aside just for wrestling that we wouldn’t have to share or to have to roll up the mats each day.”

While wrestling and coaching the sport is something Coach Brown enjoys, he has another passion. “I love to swim. Breast stroke and back stroke are my two bests. I love nothing more than suiting up and putting on my waterproof mp3 player blast my tunes and swim for a full hour,” he said. He also enjoys reading history, war, and science fiction novels. “I used to indoor boulder climb but my shoulders are not in the best of shape so had to cut down on that significantly.”