Students and staff welcomed new English teacher and girls basketball head coach Kevin Quach this school year. Quach has been teaching for seven years, initially beginning teaching for three years at Pacific Blvd. Elementary in Huntington Park, then transferred to Maywood Center for Enriched Studies high school to coach and co-teach English.
Basketball has always been a joy for Quach, being the first sport he fell in love with. Without technology growing up, Quach’s grandparents only had a basketball hoop in their backyard and is where his passion developed. He spent most of his time shooting around a basketball.
Alongside playing basketball at his house, he watched Laker games and bought calendars for all their games. He would come home from school and watch every single Laker game that was on television. As time progressed, Quach started playing more sports in high school. He played basketball all four years at Covina High School along with track and football for a year. After he graduated he felt that his playing days were over, but still wanted to continue his athletic career.
“I really felt as though I had so much to give in the sport of basketball, so I started training right after high school with my brother, and from there I just developed a love for coaching,” said Quach.
Quach now spends his free time with his fiancee, Jasmin Maitland, and his dog. They love to watch the show “Survivor,” and when it comes to food, Quach and Maitland love to travel and try new foods wherever they go. He also takes time to do self-therapeutic activities, which consists of working out or playing basketball.
Family is a big part of Quach’s life. His brother, Kenny Quach, is one of the assistant coaches on the girls basketball team. They grew up playing basketball with each other, especially when it came to training. Maitland also assists with the team. One of the main reasons he chose this job was to be closer to his family and wanting them to see him coach.
“It was really important for me to be close to home, my parents actually got to come out and watch us play the other night. They never were able to do that when I coached out in L.A.,” said Quach
Being a coach comes with its ups and downs, but for Quach the main thing he wants for his team is helping to prepare them for life. His goal is to teach life skills through basketball, and when moments get tough he reminds his team of that. He wants them to also be a strong unit, a family, and to not turn on each other when things happen. He keeps them motivated even when times get tough. To Quach, it’s more than just wins and losses, for him, there’s a much bigger picture to it.
“I want them to be ready and I want them to be as successful as they can be when they leave my program, right when they come into my program, you know as an individual and when they leave my program, that they are a better person when they left,” said Quach.
Quach is content coaching girls basketball and explained how he is motivated to do everything he can for his team, and for the program to put girls basketball right where it should be.
“I knew that this is where my heart was, it means the world to me to come back to the community I grew up in, to be able to teach and to be able to coach,” said Quach.
