Associating with a rival team is already looked down upon, but what about coaching for a rival team? That’s exactly what Mr. Josh Pajak does.
Pajak coaches the girl’s soccer team at Mount Pleasant.
“My goal in life since I was fourteen has been to become a soccer coach, finally I applied for Mount Pleasant and I got hired,” said Pajak.
Pajak has played soccer since age four, and he knew then that coaching soccer was the lifestyle that he wanted to pursue.
“In junior high I had a great coach, Joe Hawk” said Pajak, “ He made me love soccer.”
Southmoreland and Mount Pleasant girls play each other at some meets and people tend to wonder who he would root for.
“Obviously I am rooting for Mount Pleasant, because they are who I coach,” said Pajak, “now when Southmoreland doesn’t play us, I will root for them.”
At play offs, the last 3 years, Mount Pleasant and Southmoreland have tied each other.
Pajak not only has a love for soccer, he has one for history. Pajak’s soccer life tied into his teaching career. Joe Hawk’s father was Pajak’s history teacher in the sixth grade.
“He influenced me to become a teacher, I have always had a love for history, but Mr. Hawk definitely made it the best,” said Pajak.
Teaching means the ‘world’ to Pajak, he never misses a day, and he said that he “will always put teaching first before any game.”
Pajak also coaches the track team at Southmoreland High School. He started to coach soccer in 2006 and started in track in 2007.
“I’d rather be the head coach than an assistant; I like to be in charge, but there are different responsibilities to each job,” said Pajak.