Coach Gary Cooper was named Employee of the Month at the Webster Parish School Board’s November 6 meeting. Coach Cooper, who will be retiring this year, has served as a coach, athletic director, and teacher at Lakeside Jr/Sr High School.
The award was presented by Kevin Thompson of Taylor and Sons who opened by saying, “I’d like all of you to take a second to think back on your formative years, and think about someone who influenced your life and the lessons that they taught you. I think this gentleman has had that impact on hundreds, if not thousands, of young people who have come through this parish over the years.”
Thompson then read Cooper’s letter of recommendation, which said:
“After 40 years in education, Coach Gary Cooper is retiring at the end of this school year. Coach Cooper was the very first football and softball coach at Lakeside and has helped build the programs into what they are today. He stepped away from coaching a few years ago and took on the role of athletic director (AD), which is very time consuming.
“Coach Cooper teaches advanced math and geometry to go along with being the AD. He gets no extra time during the day for this extra duty, so it often cuts into his personal time. Coach Cooper teaches every day from bell to bell, and his students know what to expect when they enter his class. His students respect him because he holds them accountable, but does so in a positive way. There are not many left like Coach Cooper, and he’s going to be missed.”
Congratulations, Coach Cooper, and enjoy your upcoming retirement.