Coming all the way from the overseas island of Puerto Rico can be a strenuous challenge for some. Not for Coach Johnny Baez, an assistant Varsity baseball coach at Riverview High School and a recent hire to also work on campus. His title you ask: serving as the paraprofessional aide in which he “loves working with students one-on-one all day.”
Coach Johnny exploits his potential goals that he hopes to pursue at RHS as he “wants to share his life experiences with students so he can hopefully motivate and encourage them to achieve their full potential.” Those experiences that he shares with students around the campus may include his childhood in Puerto Rico, his past obstacles he had to climb, and his own baseball career and student life while in high school.
“I feel grateful for the opportunity to be part of the Rams’ family. I absolu
tely love being here, as the staff is super friendly and makes me feel at home. It has surpassed my expectations,” he said.
Not only is he a friendly wingman around Riverview, he also works as a real estate agent and serves as an Uber driver. In other words, hard-working and passionate describes Coach Johnny as he diffuses this demeanor on the baseball field by using a quote from legendary Notre Dame Irish hall of fame football coach Lou Holtz, “Teamwork is the foundation of success. The three universal questions that a coach asks of his players are: ‘Can I trust you? Are you committed to excellence? And, do you care about each other?’” If you can answer yes to all three of these questions, then you are a true teammate and you have that psychological “competitive edge” where you will be successful for your future on and off the baseball field.
“I especially enjoy interacting with the baseball players on campus,” the coach said, as it improves the culture altogether and makes for a strong sense of team.
He has one lasting message for Ram Nation this whole year, as he “is looking forward to a productive year and wants everyone to stay safe from the Corona virus.”
This is Assistant Varsity Coach Johnny Baez, who went on to play baseball at the collegiate level in 1984 for Trinity International University, formerly known as Trinity College, in Deerfield, Illinois, a NAIA college. Before he became a coach/campus aide at Riverview High School in 2019/2020, he also served as an assistant varsity coach for Booker High School from 2013 to 2016 and was part of the squad that won the Class 5A District 11 championship in 2016. Most notably, he is a proud member of the Florida High School Athletic Association, or FHSAA.