As the football players huddle under the Friday night lights during a timeout in Buena High School’s stadium, coach Adam Colman can be heard giving quarterbacks their next plays and encouraging them to be aggressive.

Colman not only coaches the JV and varsity quarterbacks on the field, but also coaches students in the classroom as an educator of Math Readiness, Math 1 Honors, and AP Statistics. 

From a young age, his dad would play catch and watch football with him, which fostered a love for the competition and strategy of the game. As a high school student, Colman was a well-rounded athlete, playing both basketball and football. 

Before coaching and teaching at Buena, Colman worked at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center with ambitions to become a therapist. 

 “[Working in a rehabilitation center] was tough for a lot of reasons, but I found I really liked working with [a] teenage group and just seeing the growth and the potential in that age group,” Colman said.

Colman has extreme empathy for people going through rough times, because he saw how people in his life were affected by drugs and alcohol, which is extremely important while working with teenagers. He knew that he could be of help because of this.

“I saw how much [I] could change lives and I wanted to give back and help people who were in situations like that,” Colman said.

Colman is extremely excited for the rest of his team’s season. He is confident that Buena will perform well. Colman knows that Buena’s team is capable of so much and can’t wait to see what the rest of the season has in store for them.

Buena’s football team is just as eager for the rest of their season with nothing but good things to say about Colman.

“He’s a really great coach, he teaches us how to be a leader on and off the field, so I really appreciate him being one of my coaches,” JV football player Carter Aubert said.

In the short time Colman has been at Buena, he has already made a positive impact on many students’ lives due to his drive and dedication to his work. 

“He’s always treated us with respect, and will do whatever is best for the team.” JV football player Kaleb Alarcon said.

When asked about the qualities of a great football player, Colman said you need to be industrious and enthusiastic. His goal is to teach his team how to succeed off and on the field, and the pyramid of success is his game plan.

Colman strongly believes in the pyramid of success, the building blocks to be the best version of yourself. Colman implements this into his coaching and teaching with confidence that his students and team will be successful in whatever they choose to do.

“You have to be willing to work hard, and part of working as hard as it takes is enjoying what you’re doing. If you are not liking it, not having fun, you are not going to want to put in those extra hours and do all the work that it takes,” Colman said.