Overlake’s successful athletic program prepares Owls for more than the next game

John Wiley

When did you start at Overlake?

I started as a freshman. I went to Lakeside for junior high and Overlake for high school. I graduated in 1983.

How long have you been at Overlake now?

I think I coached my first year in ’90 - ‘91 as a JV Boys Basketball coach and assistant to Bob Wood. We met then for the first time, and he became a big mentor to me. Then I was out for a couple of years running  my small business, which did not allow me the time to continue coaching. Bob Bristol, who was Athletic Director at that time, called me for the ’93 - ‘94 school year for coaching the boys’ varsity program as Bob Wood was the new Middle School Director and therefore vacated the Head Coaching job. So, I accepted and coached for a couple of years before I became the Athletic Director in ’95 - ‘96.

Okay. So, so a quarter century more or less.

I think I stopped counting after 20. Yeah. [Laughs]

One thing I have noticed as an alum is the consistency of the improvements since you've been at the helm of all things athletic at Overlake. There is really a strong culture of belonging among our student scholar-athletes and that carries over into their alum lives.

Thank you. I think I came in at the absolute perfect time, where there was starting to be some investment into the school. There were dreams of building new turf fields and new gyms and all that and I came in right as that wave was building. We’ve truly benefitted support we've had, especially at that time from (former Head of School) Frank Grijalva, and then from (current Head of School) Matt Horvat. You can't do any co-curricular program in any school unless your administration believes wholeheartedly that it's an indispensable part of an education. I've never felt they've wavered even during this pandemic year. When every indicator was pointing to trouble on the horizon, they understood that the mental health benefits of getting kids together and connected was so important. And if you do it through sports, then hallelujah! Matt and the Admin Team were always asking, what can we do to have practices? What can we do to get our teams going again? Matt came to me in August 2020 and said, “we have this incredible 77-acre campus. Can't we do stuff outside and keep it safe?” As soon as the King County Health Department allowed it, we found a lot of ways to get kids back together to play.

When I talk to alums every year, one of the things that they all say, whether they were a JV player like me or went on to be a college star - they all say that for them doing sports and athletics at Overlake helped them manage their stress load, and stay healthier, and connect with their peers. It helped them connect, not only with kids in their own class, but also with kids from other grades. Sometimes they end up being lifelong friends. There's a lot of emphasis here on athletics and sports as a winning life habit, not just a competitive venture or a school glory deal.

I think athletics too often can be stereotyped and can be stepped on by overly aggressive parents and club coaches throughout our country. And so, I really feel that I'm lucky to be in an environment where the priority has always been the classroom, but the real gift of Overlake is all the programs outside the classroom. Whether it's athletics, the arts, outdoor education, a school club program, JSA, robotics – all those things are foundational towards getting people to learn how to work together. I believe that’s the key to becoming successful in ‘the real world’ after they leave our school.

There’s just something about the skills you learn being on a team. In adult life, you're going to work with a team of people you don't get to pick.

Someday, you're going to be on that software team. Or you're going to be on a construction team. Maybe you’ll be on a surgical team. You're all going to play a part. Not everyone's the MVP. There's plenty of people there that support the team in ways that make your team successful. That is what we are teaching. How are you going to work with each other? We teach team, team, team because this is the training ground for those future professionals.

It fits very much with our academics in that way. In addition to the academic skills to go wherever you're going, you also have these human interaction skills, these high EQ skills:  how do you get along with somebody? How do coach somebody, how do you accept coaching, or train your boss. Those are all things that happen.

We’re trying to teach character and how to get along with others. If you're really good, if you can be one of the 7% who go on to play the college level, we support you one hundred percent. Most people are not headed to play in college or make it to the pros. They’re going to be in places where they're going to need the brains as well their character to work well with others.

I remember when Beckley Mason (’04) was honored at the Athletics Hall of Fame ceremony one year. I was really struck by what he had to say about knowing, as a 9th grader, that he was better than most of the guys he was playing with. The team was in a rebuild mode and they lost almost every game that season. And he was ready to quit playing. But he was persuaded by a coach to stay in. And as a result, the whole team got better and had a great run in high school. Sometimes there are lessons about leadership as well as character here. And, sometimes you have to make sacrifices to bring the team where it needs to go.

There are some things you can control and some things you can’t. I think we've been reminded of that in the last year. Beckley, and so many others, learned that they can develop their work ethic and leadership skills, in addition to getting better on the court every day. People like Beckley affect positive change by doing that. Don’t forget that our standout athletes inspire younger ones toward that path as well and the cycle continues.

How many coaches do you have?

There's normally over 90 coaches. We have 16 programs. The majority of the Middle School coaches are on campus faculty. Usually, the Upper School sport level is specialized, therefore we have many outstanding off-campus coaches directing those programs. And we have alums coaching every year as well. Katie Hill (’14), who's a new math teacher here, was a three-sport varsity letter winner as an athlete at Overlake. She is just a fantastic role model for young women. Another alum is Zach Foster (’19), who might be the most celebrated runner we've ever had. They go on some marathon cross country runs and he's always at the front of the pack, leading by example.

What do you think the value is, for those who haven't thought much about this, of bringing alums back to coach?

Well, I think part of it is just understanding our culture, understanding our community, understanding how the pieces fit together. When I hire a coach, no matter how experienced they might be, if they're new to Overlake, there is a certain learning curve. Our alums have the experience of knowing the facilities, the academic standards, the responsibilities. And there's no one who comes out of Overlake who doesn't understand that they need to balance classes and their sports. As simple as that sounds, there's no one that comes out of Overlake who doesn't understand the personal responsibility that each one of these athletes brings to the classroom and to their team. I think that comes from going through this whole experience as a student athlete.

Alumni returning to campus in any capacity, as volunteers, as employees, as counselors for the Summer Program, to come speak to a class – those kinds of things are enriching both for the students and for the alums themselves. This affirms our culture and keeps the alumni engaged.

Being here for as long as I have, I have seen attempts at trying to unify the alums over time. In recent years, I have more alums who call me that seem to know what's going on, and that's a credit to how much better alum engagement has gotten generally. We have more alum families applying as well. As alums we truly appreciate the Overlake experience as it comes full circle like that even more so. It was like pushing a boulder up a hill for a long time, but I think we certainly have the momentum and I'm so proud to be an alum.

Somebody asked me, “Hey Wiley, why do you stay? Why don't you go to other schools?” And I always felt like if I could believe in the school in its current phase and where it's going, why would I leave? I'm proud of where we've been. I'm certainly proud of the effort that so many gave to get the school to where it is now. It is a top-flight prep school, and we sent my own kids here (Annabelle ’20, Jack ’23). I get to go to work in a place where the people, programs, the campus, and facilities are outstanding, and I get to work with kids who truly want to be here. With regards to athletics, I never have to worry about someone not wanting to a practice (for most it’s the best part of their day J). That’s because we've got coaches who are great leaders and role models, who make it fun, but also really competitive.

As far as the school goes, seeing where it's going, I'm lucky enough now to have my homeroom in the new Whitten Math & Sciences Center – we've got a pretty cool room each morning. You feel like, wow, this is a special place. It continues to be. As Dr. Sam Hillyer (’01) puts it, “it's like stepping into kind of a dream world.”

For me, as an alum who has come back to work on campus, I'm so glad to be part of this place right now. We’re just getting some exciting things rolling. And it’s clear to me that our sports and athletics program is second to none. Good leadership is what got us there. So thank you!

You know I didn't even get a chance to thank all of our current coaches, especially our alums! I think we counted nine alumni in the last year who are involved in our coaching staff. It’s great to have them back. Thank you for the opportunity to talk about our programs.

Interview by Christian Fulghum (’77)