Olympian Effort

by Beverly Burmeier

Photo by: Scogin Mayo

Sue Humphrey hangs out in the halls of an Austin, Texas, school–not that unusual for a principal in charge of several hundred eighth graders. She says it pays her bills and satisfies her soul to work at Pearce Middle School, where 90 percent of the students are classified as low-income. But when the Summer Olympics start, Humphrey, 53, will be in Greece as head coach of the U.S. women's track and field team. "I have the sporting life and the paying job. I've never done one without the other," says Humphrey, who often catches planes on Fridays to meet with athletes, and then flies back in time for school on Mondays.

When she wears her sporting hat, she is more like a friend than a coach, says 1996 Olympic gold medalist Charles Austin. "She's more like family," Austin says. "Her support on and off the track is so important that I asked her to be godmother for my son."

As a teacher, she is equally impressive. Jane Butters, a colleague at Pearce, has watched Humphrey help troubled students overcome behavioral problems. "She never gives up on a student," says Butters. Now an assistant principal herself, Butters admires how Humphrey always makes a connection with academics. "She is strikingly honest and straightforward with teachers, parents, and students."

For a woman who was never a great athlete, Humphrey's coaching career has been surprisingly successful. She started in her high school years in Phoenix, working with the school's star sprinter and timing track events. "Coaching was natural for me," she says.

In 1975, while she was teaching middle school in Scottsdale, her alma mater, Arizona State University, asked her to coach the women's track team after hours. Four years later, her team ranked second in the nation. In 1980, when she was teaching in California, Wilt Chamberlain tapped her to coach at his track club–where Jackie Joyner-Kersee trained–giving her the opportunity to travel with athletes.

In 1984, Humphrey put her teaching career on hold to coach women at the University of Texas. The UT experience turned out to be a catalyst for her return to public school. "The discrepancy between academic and athletic ability of many college athletes really tore at me," Humphrey says. "I found that I cared more about kids being able to read and write than run and jump." So she did both–still teaching, she became the first woman to coach men at UT.

With the Summer Olympics set for this month, Humphrey is optimistic. "The Olympic Committee is counting on us to win at least 25 medals," she says.

Humphrey herself has an even bigger dream. "I'd love to establish a private school that would take good athletes and challenge them academically," she says. "That would be the best of both worlds."

Beverly Burmeier is a freelance writer specializing in stories about health, lifestyle, and travel.