STOCKTON – Chris Roemer is a physical education teacher here at Lincoln High School. He is one of the most energetic teachers on campus and his voice motivates students to do their very best. Mr. Roemer always wanted to do something with his life that involved sports.

“I thought about working in the sports apparel/equipment industry, but I wanted to make more money and I did not want to get locked into working for just one company for a long period of time,” reflected Roemer. Mr. Roemer dove head first into the world of education because it is fast paced and every day offers a new challenge. Roemer stated, “I always knew that PE and coaching went hand in hand. I wanted a profession where I could teach kids and expose them to life learning skills like hard work, accountability, responsibility, teamwork, and time management. I wanted to be involved in getting my students ready for life after high school.”

Roemer has worked at Lincoln High School for the past 10 years. His career began by working with the Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (ROTC) in his first year and the past nine years have been in the physical education department.

“The colleagues that I work with on a daily basis truly make my job fun and exciting,” remarked Roemer.

Once the school day ends, Chris Roemer is also the head girls varsity basketball coach. I asked Mr. Roemer why he gets so much satisfaction from coaching and he said, “I just love the fast-paced style of the game. I love the excitement and the overall athleticism of the game.” I questioned Mr. Roemer as to why he likes coaching girls basketball instead of boys. “Girls want to be built up. They are outstanding listeners, and they have an innate ability to work together as a team,” said Roemer. He is looking forward to this season. Roemer says the girls mentality and motivation this year is noticeably different. COVID took a lot of the passion to play away last year. The girls are having to wear masks on the court this season, but they are thrilled that the start of a full season is just a week away.

Mr. Roemer is a not only a coach and P.E teacher, but he is a husband with two boys. Mr. Roemer has been married for three years and cherishes his life at home. “I would say that having a family really helps bring balance to coaching and teaching,” stated Roemer. “You quickly forget about work once you get home and when you’re having a rough day at work, you go home and you get re-energized by seeing your wife and kids.”

As my interview time was coming to a close, I asked Roemer to comment on what he truly likes about working at Lincoln. He said, “I never stop thinking about teaching or coaching. I keep planning ahead to try new ideas to improve myself, my students and my team. You have to be willing to try new things. My goal is to make a connection with every student or player I get the chance to work with.”