Eastern Missouri NSDA Coach of the Year
Stepping into the role of "coach" at a school is daunting for even the most seasoned Speech & Debate educators. It's especially challenging for someone just starting their coaching career. This award is meant to recognize an individual in their first or second year of coaching who has demonstrated exemplary service to their own students and/or the EastMO community.
2021 New Coach of the Year - Dr. Danielle Johnson, Columbia Public Schools
Stepping into a role as a new coach in 2020 was daunting enough. Seven months into a global pandemic, educators were facing a lot of unknowns. Coach educators were not only navigating their daily classes, but also figuring out how to effectively do the extracurricular work of coaching their teams, navigating online tournaments, and trying to maintain a sense of team unity when everyone was distanced.
Dr. Danielle Johnson faced the same challenges as all educators, but she didn't have one school; in 2020 Danielle took on the head coaching role for three high schools in the Columbia Public School District at the same time. Under this new system, the Speech & Debate programs at Muriel W. Battle, Hickman, and Rock Bridge high schools were able to continue and, in some cases, even grow in size during the pandemic. Dr. Johnson ensured that this powerful activity could be accessed by more students, even when the rest of the world seemed to be shutting down.
Danielle has also very quickly become a strong member of the Eastern Missouri coaching community. In her first year, she created a "weeknight tournament series" in December hosted Muriel W. Battle High School, then hosted a large all-varsity tournament at Rock Bridge High School, and, for the first time, was able to offer an all-novice tournament at Hickman High School the same weekend.
Dr. Johnson's drive to be a contributor to our community is obvious. But where her real strength lies is that she asks a lot of questions, seeks information, and shows a true desire to attempt to learn the EastMO culture. She wants to learn the norms of our community, but also volunteers information from her own experiences elsewhere.
Confidently, we know she will be a dedicated, dynamic, and powerful voice in the community for years to come. We are proud to name Dr. Danielle Johnson the 2021 Eastern Missouri New Coach of the Year!
Dr. Danielle Johnson faced the same challenges as all educators, but she didn't have one school; in 2020 Danielle took on the head coaching role for three high schools in the Columbia Public School District at the same time. Under this new system, the Speech & Debate programs at Muriel W. Battle, Hickman, and Rock Bridge high schools were able to continue and, in some cases, even grow in size during the pandemic. Dr. Johnson ensured that this powerful activity could be accessed by more students, even when the rest of the world seemed to be shutting down.
Danielle has also very quickly become a strong member of the Eastern Missouri coaching community. In her first year, she created a "weeknight tournament series" in December hosted Muriel W. Battle High School, then hosted a large all-varsity tournament at Rock Bridge High School, and, for the first time, was able to offer an all-novice tournament at Hickman High School the same weekend.
Dr. Johnson's drive to be a contributor to our community is obvious. But where her real strength lies is that she asks a lot of questions, seeks information, and shows a true desire to attempt to learn the EastMO culture. She wants to learn the norms of our community, but also volunteers information from her own experiences elsewhere.
Confidently, we know she will be a dedicated, dynamic, and powerful voice in the community for years to come. We are proud to name Dr. Danielle Johnson the 2021 Eastern Missouri New Coach of the Year!