Garfield HS Boosters Year Round Coach Fundraiser

Greetings GHS student‑athlete and families, My name is Gabriel, affectionately known as Coach G, and I would be honored to serve as your year‑round sports coach for years to come. I currently work as a Physical Education instructor and have previously served as the head men’s soccer coach and JV basketball coach at GHS and fifteen year Librarian. I am also a proud GHS alum from the Class of 1995, a parent of a current GHS freshman (Ezekiel Rapier) and a 2020 graduate (Jada Rapier), and an uncle to two current GHS students.I share this background because what I am proposing is part athletic, part social, and part family‑oriented—and it is designed to benefit all athletic programs that use the main gymnasium. 

   When I attended GHS, many of our coaches also worked on campus. That model gave us greater access to the gym, the weight room, and daily coaching expertise. Inspired by former Coach Frank Ahern, Frank Beckwith and Joe Bland—all pictured proudly on the GHS gym hallway. I want to help GHS return to that standard and set a school-wide precedent by creating an Open Gym Attendant Position offering myself to the entire GHS student body, year‑round. As part of this commitment, I plan to host a six‑hour open gym every Saturday throughout the summer, providing a safe, consistent space for student‑athletes to train, connect, and grow. 

   My primary goal is to build long‑term relationships that create trust and allow teaching points to be layered over time. This kind of continuity makes it possible to guide student‑athletes through progressions that simply cannot happen in one‑off clinics or short‑term seasons. Development, health, and confidence are cumulative—they build steadily through regular contact, consistent training, and ongoing mentorship, not in short bursts that end when a season does.

   To strengthen the sense of community, open gyms will also include opportunities for balance and creativity beyond training. We’ll have PlayStation and Xbox game stations featuring age‑appropriate sports titles to promote friendly competition, teamwork, and strategic thinking in a relaxed setting. Additionally, I plan to launch a Food Support and Nutrition Program that provides healthy snacks during open gym sessions and practices. The goal is to show how balanced nutrition supports athletic performance and recovery. This program will include a “Food Budget Game,” where students collaborate to plan a week of nutritious meals on a limited budget—turning practical life lessons into a fun, educational challenge. To nurture mental growth, we’ll introduce a Teen Book Club as part of the open gym experience. The club will invite student‑athletes to read and discuss books that inspire leadership, perseverance, and self‑discovery—qualities that translate directly to sports and daily life. Whether the topic is chasing goals, overcoming adversity, or learning from different perspectives, the book club will give students a voice, build empathy, and strengthen their ability to think critically both on and off the court.    

   Year‑round access to an open gym supports mental and emotional well‑being. Being able to drop into the gym for movement, conversation, or recreation fosters belonging, relieves stress, and helps students build a consistent, positive routine. Flexible hours make it practical for early risers and night‑owls alike to train or participate when it fits their schedules—encouraging lifelong healthy habits. 

To make this vision sustainable, I am inviting the entire GHS community to partner with me in funding this role. The compensation would mirror that of a GHS/WIAA assistant coach: a modest stipend of $1,000 per month for a commitment of 25+ hours monthly, across all twelve months of the year. As participation in GHS open gym continues to grow, we will expand into additional time slots (for example, mornings before school and evenings/late nights) to accommodate more student‑athletes. Your support will provide a stable, year‑round coaching presence focused on the growth, safety, and success of every GHS student‑athlete.

BEST,

Coach G

BOOST OUR CAUSE THROUGH BUSINESS SPONSORSHIP

If you're a business owner or know of a company interested in supporting a worthy endeavor, click on the Corporate Sponsor box below. Learn more about how your company can be prominently featured on our fundraising page, visible to all our supporters & visitors. It's a win-win opportunity for your business and our program.

DOUBLE YOUR DONATION

When donating, please make sure to type in your employer in the “double your donation” section to see if they are listed in our database of companies that participate in a donor match program for their employees. It could double your donation and help our program even more.