History teacher and former football coach Mark Weisman found his love for football
early on during his life. Weisman played tackle football throughout high school and college and has filled a variety of roles throughout his athletic career “In high school I played multiple positions,” he said. “When I got to the University of California, Los Angeles, I walked on as a linebacker, and then from there, I learned how to snap a ball and became a special teams player.”

Weisman reflects positively on his experience. “It was beneficial in more ways than one,” he said. “Besides athletic benefits of [playing a sport] at that level, you also you also have the academic support. So like at UCLA, you have access to things like athletic tutors and stuff like that. Or it can help you through the process of the academics at the institution, which can be fairly useful.”

His favorite part, however, was the experience of being with his teammates. “One of the aspects of sports is being able to interact with others right on your side,” Weisman said. “The best part of UCLA was being with my teammates, whether it workouts, in class or on the playing field.” Through football, Weisman was also able to meet his wife. “My wife was a student trainer at UCLA,” he said. “So that’s how we met.”

Weisman was able to give back to football after graduation by coaching. “I coached for 19 years,” said Weisman. “I coached for seven years at my old high school in Long Beach and then I came up here in 2006.” Weisman no longer coaches high school sports in order to help with his kids’ teams. “My schedule is basically revolving around their schedule,” he said. “ I have a six-year-old, a 10-year-old and a 12-year-old. So usually most days are from practice to practice or game to practice. I coach my oldest son in baseball and flag football, coach my daughter in softball and I coach my youngest son in baseball.”

Coaching has been a rewarding experience for Weisman. His favorite part is watching his athletes constantly improve. “Kids getting bigger, faster, stronger and doing well on the field and off the field,” Weisman said. “I had a former football player fly over the Bay Area, he’s in the Navy now as a pilot, you know, to fly see these positive contributors in society is probably the best thing about it.”