A quick interview with the coach

Q: How long have you been coaching at Armijo? Where and what have you coached before? What else do you do for work?

Coach Epps: I’ve coached for 2 ½ years at Armijo. I’m also an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) and work in different schools in FSUSD as a school-based clinician. I run socio-emotional skill groups for students.

Q: In the past, what have you done for work?

Coach Epps: I was in graduate school, so I was a student full time. I’ve held an administrative assistant job at an economic justice nonprofit organization serving small business owners with free/reduced cost legal consultation and services. I’ve also been a therapeutic behavioral services (TBS) specialist for children and adolescents as part of my masters’ program.

Q: Why did you become a coach?

Coach Epps: I’ve helped out on a few occasions with different athletes before, and I found it to be very fun and rewarding. I love interacting with young athletes and providing them with the skills and confidence to succeed at their own pace.

Q: Where did you go to school? Did you run track in high school? In college? Break any records?

Coach Epps: I went to high school at Rodriguez and graduated in 2015. I ran track for 10+ years, starting in elementary school. I also ran in college after being recruited to UC Santa Barbara. I graduated in 2019 with a double major in Psychology and Sociology. I went to Holy Names University for my Masters’ degree in Counseling Psychology and I graduated in 2022. I plan to start my doctorate degree (Psy.D) in Clinical Psychology in the next 1-2 years.

I hold the school record at Rodriguez High School for the 100m and the 200m. I did the short sprints, but I also did the 400m sometimes.

Q: What are your hobbies? What else do you do for fun?

Coach Epps: I still run and am very active with activities such as yoga and Pilates. I also spend a lot of time doing digital art. Some other things I enjoy are traveling, (window) shopping, and getting dressed up for nice dinners or outings.

Q: What advice would you give to students considering going into coaching?

Coach Epps: It’s important to have a regime and schedule, but don’t be afraid to be flexible to meet the needs of the athletes. Be mindful of what will help the athletes and make sure the workouts directly support athletic development. What purpose does running a bunch of laps or “punishment” workouts have?

Especially for past athletes who have gone through very rigorous and/or strict sports programs, be critical of your past experience with the sport and be careful to not drive people away from the sport with unnecessary regimens. Being stern has its purposes, being cruel to students doesn’t.

Q: If you could change one thing about Armijo (students, facilities, staff, etc.), what would it be and why?

Coach Epps: I would absolutely change the facilities and equipment. So many things need to be updated or switched out, from the weight room to the uniforms. The students work so hard to improve in the sport, they absolutely deserve the updated equipment to match their extremely high quality of work.

If I hit the lottery, the facilities, uniforms and equipment would get a massive overhaul. Uniforms would have 3 different styles with multiple different colorways with matching spikes and all (lol). But my point is that the students deserve it, and it’s sad that they’re not rewarded in that way for their hard work.

Q: Anything else you would like to say?

Coach Epps: It’s been an absolute pleasure coaching here. The students are an absolute joy to interact with and they always make my day better. It’s such an honor!