Mrs. Bedard is the girl’s PE teacher here at Pottsgrove, and she may be seen around the halls expressing her bright smile and positive attitude. As a coach and teacher, Mrs. Bedard creates a positive learning environment for her PE students and players. Mrs Bedard has been at Pottsgrove since 2015 and coaching since 2016. At this point, she coaches Girls’ field hockey, and softball and previously coached bowling. Mrs. Bedard says she has wanted to be a PE teacher for as long as she can remember saying, “I had so much fun in PE class, and I had PE teachers that were very upbeat and positive. I remember admiring them and thinking to myself, I would love to do this.” and she has done it, she has made remarkable impressions on her students, including myself.
Mrs. Bedard has a hectic schedule, a teacher during the day and a coach in the afternoon. No matter how busy she is, she loves what she does, her favorite memories from school are her first years with Mr. Engstrom and Mrs. Eaton at the middle school, as well as color days. As a coach her favorite thing during the softball season is Tell Me Something Good Tuesday, where every Tuesday they sit in a circle and say something nice about their day! During Field Hockey season one of her favorite things is when the seniors host practice at the end of the season and play fun games! As upbeat and fun as she is, coaching can be difficult sometimes, having to make difficult decisions to benefit your team may be hard but Mrs. Bedard has everything under control stating her core values. “I believe in hustle, hard work, teamwork, and respect. I believe that the team’s goals and priorities should be the main focus of a team. I think there is a lot of power when people make individual sacrifices and come together to work towards a common goal and truly dedicate themselves to the team and the process.” With these core thoughts, Mrs. Bedard has led her sports teams to several postseason district tournaments over the years! Mikayla Eckman, one of Mrs. Bedard’s students and players says, “Coach Bedard has truly been a pillar of strength and inspiration in the team as well as my own athletic journeys.” She Continues with, “Thank you for not only teaching us the skills of the game but also instilling in us the values of discipline, perseverance, and teamwork. Your mentorship has shaped us into better athletes and better people.” Mikayla has explained this perfectly, and I’m sure that many would agree with her. Overall, as a coach, Mrs. Bedard believes in what will best benefit the team as a whole and she practices the belief that any of the decisions she makes will reflect the goal and mission of Pottsgrove athletics.
Mrs. Bedard is a necessity here at Pottsgrove, whether it is because of her outgoing and upbeat personality or her dedication to her students and players. She creates a positive attitude wherever she goes. She is passionate about her role at Pottsgrove and constantly strives to think about the impact her choices make on the athletic and school community. Mrs. Bedard leaves her athletes and students in great spirits by reminding them to always “keep the bigger picture in mind”.
