A passionate coach and educator

March, 2010

For Joe LaGrange, getting a job at Riverside Middle School was a lot like coming home. The Viking health educator and coach had spent many years in different school districts, in a variety of different roles. But when he got the call that he was hired on at Riverside by then principal Chuck Shupe, it just felt right.

“I got that phone call for a reason,” said LaGrange.

He had visited Garfield County many times because his sister, Susan Beecraft, was the Nutrition Services Director for Garfield Re-2.

“I came and visited all the time, but it has changed my life by coming out here. My sister is very influential in my life and it has been a blessing.  I’m real happy out here,” he explained.

LaGrange came to teaching late in life. He served for four years in the Air Force during the cold war and left with the rank of Sergeant.

“I felt like I didn’t have the discipline or the grades for college, and I felt like it was what I was supposed to do. Both my Dad and my Grandfather were in the Air Force. It was a great place to start,” said LaGrange.

During his time in the Air Force, LaGrange traveled around the United States, but his favorite location was Iceland.

“It was a remote radar site and we tracked Russian bombers. I was there for only a year but I saw the northern lights.  That’s where I found my love of movies because we’d go in this big shack and it was free and they would show all kinds of movies,” he laughed.

But it was his aunt that convinced him to go into education once his military career was over.

“Since I was a comedian, good with people, loved sports and I’ve always wanted to coach, she convinced me that education was a good choice for me,” he said.

It’s worked out. LaGrange has been at Riverside for 11 years teaching and coaching football, basketball and wrestling.

“I love my kids. I am here every day for my students. The hardest part is trying to keep up, especially in the area of health. The information changes almost daily about what is good for you and what isn’t.”

Though Iceland was certainly a highlight in LaGrange’s life, another came during his youth football days when he played Youth America Football. That is where he found his love of football, but also where he was able to meet Joe Lewis, heavy weight boxing champion from 1937 to 1949.

“I’m not an autograph guy, but he was famous. So I got his autograph,” he laughed.

Riverside health teacher Joe LaGrange is Who’s Who in Garfield Re-2.