Head Varsity Girls Soccer Coach Sara Fjell makes her decision to leave Bellevue East to take the role of the new Activities Director at Elkhorn High School. Fjell plans to finish out her 17th year here at East, then take on her new position for the 2021-2022 school year. Fjell says that she always knew eventually she would move up into an administration job in education.                                                                                                                                                                         

            “I’ve loved teaching and I’ve loved coaching and I just really love working with kids, and as an activities director you get to work with all activities and all athletic programs and you are still really hands-on with student athletes and students involved in activities,” Fjell said.

         Fjell says when she got this opportunity she felt it was her dream job and she had to take it. Even though Fjell is looking forward to her new position at Elkhorn, she won’t forget how much she has loved teaching and coaching throughout the years here at East. 

          “I am going to miss teaching and working with the variety of different types of kids, especially sophomore year. I really enjoy seeing how much kids change in a year between their freshmen year and before they become upperclassmen,” Fjell said. 

           Fjell says she is going to miss teaching history and teaching kids the importance of education and how beneficial it is to students in the long run. While Fjell finishes out her last season of coaching soccer here at East she says she has loved the relationships she has created with her players and really enjoyed watching them grow and develop from their freshmen year to senior year. 

           “My main goal for the soccer season is to see these girls reach their goal since we did not have a season last year. As well as hopefully having a winning season. Since this is my last year as coaching I want to leave a legacy of hard work, positivity, and determination,” Fjell said. 

            Fjell says applications for a new soccer coach will be out soon, and hopefully a decision will be made by the end of the season. Fjell speaks her mind of the challenges of coaching and what she has learned from it throughout her career. 

          “I think the biggest challenge about coaching is getting the best out of all of our kids. Especially a team sport, you have to depend upon each other and play well together. You have to play hard for each other and ultimately I think bringing that out of each of your players is the toughest thing,” Fjell said. 

           Even though we will miss Fjell once she departs from East, we won’t forget the impact she has made here. 

          “I hope that students and athletes I have taught understand the importance of hard work, maintaining a positive attitude, and putting in time and energy. I hope they remember the way that I treated them and how I try to keep things as fair as possible and just be a motivator for them with everything they are involved in,” Fjell said. 

Junior Mara Parker says it will be hard to adapt to a new coach once Fjell leaves. 

“Coach Fjell left a huge imprint in all of our lives, not only on the field but in the classroom as well. She has helped me find the positives in situations even when I am upset,” Parker said. 

            Principal Jeffrey Wagner says that this is a great position move for Fjell and we wish her the best of luck and that Fjell will always be a chieftain at heart.

           “She’s been here for a long time and she’s left an impact of positivity. Her willingness to jump in and be involved. As well as the relationships she has built with students and staff,” Wagner said. 

          With the anticipation of taking a new role at a new school Fjell discusses the excitement she is feeling for the new challenges she might face. She says being a part of a new school and culture is gonna be really hard but also exciting because there will be a lot of big decisions to make. Fjell says she is looking forward to the impact she can make there. 

          “I hope that in this next chapter I can leave a long lasting legacy of hard work there and build upon the culture they have at Elkhorn,” Fjell said.