Sandwich coach and teacher was born to be an educator: ‘It’s in my blood’

On the field, in the locker room, in the halls and in the classroom, teacher and coach Dusty Behringer has been a leader and a mentor to thousands of Sandwich students in his 24 years with Sandwich School District 430.

During his career as an educator, Behringer found that what he thought was a love of athletics had evolved into a love of working with children and a passion for teaching.

Behringer, 47, was born in Arkansas into a family of multigenerational schoolteachers. His family moved to Altona when he was in second grade, where he spent his formative years in the Rowva School District.

Teaching and athletics are dominant traits in the Behringer family, as his parents were both teachers and coaches, Behringer said. His grandmother also was a teacher, and his great-grandfather was the principal of the now defunct Altona High School.

Growing up, Behringer was an athlete. He played basketball and football in high school and went on to play football at Augusta College, where he got a degree in elementary education in 1998.

After graduating, Behringer spent a year coaching college football at Knox College and substitute teaching in the local school district.

He took a job with the Sandwich School District in 1999 as a sixth grade social studies teacher and head football coach. Over the last 24 years, he has become a pillar of the district.

Behringer has started his own family in Sandwich with his wife, Beth, and three kids: Braden, a freshman at Sandwich High School; Ashland, a seventh grader at Sandwich Middle School; and Tanner, a fourth grader at Dummer Elementary School.

Behringer served as the head football coach for several successful seasons before retiring to be home more when he and his wife started having children.

After a long hiatus, he recently returned to the program as the assistant varsity coach. In his time in Sandwich, he has coached girls basketball at Sandwich Middle School, and track, baseball, and girls and boys basketball at Sandwich High School.

Behringer coached track for 20 years, but stepped back from coaching when his son started playing baseball, so he could watch the games. Shortly after, he began coaching baseball.

“Mr. B.,” as he often is called by his students, has taught sixth grade social studies for 24 years, with multiple stints of teaching science and language arts for several years. He has about 90 students per year in four classes, and said the kids seem to enjoy being in his classroom.

Behringer said one of the best parts about teaching in a small town is seeing students and parents in the community. He said he always is stopping for conversations with current and former students at the grocery store.

Between class periods, Behringer oversees what he calls the “high-five station” just outside his classroom door. While monitoring the halls, Behringer brings a positive energy, handing out high fives and chatting with students on the way to their lockers.

Behringer said he loves teaching middle school, because at that age the kids are learning who they are, and he enjoys helping shape them into young adults. He said it requires a certain mentality, however, and you have to be able to have fun with it.

Even at times when he comes to school not feeling his best, Behringer said he instantly feels rejuvenated as soon as he steps onto the practice field or into the classroom.

Behringer measures his success as a coach and teacher by the relationships he creates with his peers and students along the way.

“I couldn’t tell you how many weddings I’ve been to of past athletes and students. I feel that those relationships are my pay,” Behringer said. “I don’t keep track of the numbers of zeros in my bank account, but I keep track of how many weddings I get invited to and friendships I’ve created.”

Behringer said he considers the people he works with some of his best friends. He said that growing up, most of his parents’ best friends also were teachers.

“I couldn’t tell you how many weddings I’ve been to of past athletes and students. I feel that those relationships are my pay.”

—  Dusty Behringer, Sandwich sixth grade social studies teacher and coach

Behringer counts at least 10 current Sandwich School District staff members that he once coached, taught or both. Sandwich High School football and baseball coach and special educator Jason VanPelt is a prime example.

When Behringer started coaching in Sandwich, he was in charge of opening the weight room every morning, and said that on most mornings VanPelt was the only student who showed up. Now, more than 20 years later, the two coach baseball and football together.

“Here’s young coach Behringer and sophomore Jason VanPelt, and we’re the only ones in the weight room at seven in the morning,” Behringer said.

Behringer said when he first considered a career in teaching, he thought of teaching as a way to stay in the realm of athletics and pursue a coaching career. After 24 years, he said being an educator was his calling.

“When I was young and cocky I would have said I prefer coaching and that I teach to coach. It has probably switched gears as I’ve gotten later in my career, but honestly, right now, it’s the same.”

Behringer said he now sees no difference between teaching and coaching and thinks of the practice field and game field as extensions of the classroom.

“I would say it’s equal, because it’s one and the same, honestly,” Behringer said. “Yeah, you can teach the X’s and O’s on a football field, but all in all, you’re teaching life lessons.”

Behringer said he has no plans to retire, other than that he plans to do it in Sandwich. His youngest, Tanner, is in fourth grade, and Behringer said he plans to keep teaching until Tanner is out of college, and hopefully keep coaching long after that.

Behringer said kids today are being pulled in all directions with distractions such as social media and video games, so it is a challenge to keep them interested and motivated, or as Behringer calls it, “keeping their arrows pointed in the right direction.”

Behringer said seeing the kids only seven to eight hours per day makes it challenging for students to keep their arrows aligned when they are away from school. He said while distractions for students are nothing new, the district has seen a decline in sports and extra curricular attendance in recent years.

The Sandwich High School was not able to field a varsity football team last fall because only six total juniors and seniors tried out, down from about 40 per year in the early 2000s. Behringer said this is in part because of the pandemic as well as shrinking enrollment in the district.

Behringer said he likes to have a good mix of pen-paper-work and online learning assignments. He said while the Chromebooks can be distracting, they also help hold students accountable.

“Gone are the days of ‘the dog ate my homework,’ ” Behringer said.

Behringer said one of the main changes he has seen over the years is that parents want to be involved more, as COVID-19 showed a lot of parents what it’s like to be inside their children’s classrooms.

During the pandemic, Behringer taught from his home office in the basement while his wife taught their three kids upstairs. He said after many parents have had to put on their “teacher hats” in recent years, it has led to more appreciation for his profession.

“I know the struggles she was having, and that was happening in living rooms all around Sandwich School District,” Behringer said. “I think that gave parents an appreciation of what teachers do and the challenges that we may have.”

Behringer said one of the main lessons he’s learned in his 24 years of teaching is patience.

“As a young, hotshot coach or teacher, you think you’re going to change the world and it’s going to change right away,” Behringer said. “It teaches you patience, not with the students, but with results you want to make in the classroom or the playing field.”

Behringer said he has learned to become more process driven rather than focused on results. He said getting the final result you want, whether it’s a winning season or progress in the classroom, comes from many small successes along the way that most people won’t see.

Behringer said as a coach or teacher working with students, you can’t always create a star athlete or a perfect test score, but you can create great human beings. He said learning that over the years has made him a better educator.

“When you become process driven, you celebrate doing the little things. At the end of the day, you might win the game on Friday night, but ultimately you’re creating better human beings.”