“Being human is given, but keeping out humanity is choice.”
Humans of IMG
Photo: Kylie Sebastian
Ruth Crawford, Campus Life
“I love working with kids. You guys are hilarious. I mean, if I could write a book about the amount of stories and then the amount of funny and quirky and weird things I hear from you guys, honestly. I really do like working with you guys and it's actually really, really fun. And I also want to be a teacher, you know? I just think education is mandatory for everyone and should be something that everyone gets access to all around the globe. You guys say ‘oh you’re tired of all of us teenagers’ and that I would kick you out of my classroom. No, no, no. Education is mandatory. That is the most important thing to me.”
Photo: Kylie Sebastian
Mr. Gubernat, History teacher
“My main outside hobby is coin collecting, as most students know, and I started coin collecting when I was younger and took a break from it as I was in high school, and then I found coin collecting again and I was introduced to coin collecting from both of my grandfathers, and I have a very extensive coin collection. If I had to guess it would probably be thousands of coins,My favorite coins are two groups, one are my large cent collection and I have coins that date from 1794-1798, and those are my favorite coins and I’ve got about 2 dozen of those, and I also am very proud of my Peace Dollar, which is a complete Peace Dollar set which includes every date and mark.”
Dustin Spanbauer, Cross Country Coach
“I think that knowing you are helping others is one of the highest honors you can receive as both a coach and a mentor. It’s not often we get to see the fruits of our labor in this world, but just simply understanding that what we do impacts the lives of those around us is a simple way to be thankful for our existence. Coaching is important to, especially at IMG Academy, because there is a collective experience that allows both student-athletes and coaches alike to transcend beyond current reality and constantly push the envelope of what it means to be the best version of yourself. Coaching to me goes beyond just being a passion or a career; it is a calling. It helps me see beyond my own self interests, and allows me to understand the perspectives of people from many walks of life. Likewise, being around many young athletes allows me to learn more about what is currently happening in the current social sphere, while also allowing me to impart knowledge gained through experience into their lives. These athletes help me understand life, as much as I help them become the best version of themselves.”
Sebastian Jimenez, Tennis Player
“Understanding your own motives in life and what you truly desire can be the most impactful motion to strive towards. I have been in the place where I felt I needed to fulfill other peoples’ desires or to help others reach the goals they dreamed of without keeping into account of myself. Instead of reflecting on my own self to reaching these dreams, I put other before me which damaged my outlook of what my life could become. Now, I have take a step back and realized the desires and motives I want for my own life. Instead of being caught with other peoples’ issues and making sure everyone else was okay, I needed to reflect on myself to become the person I want to see.”
Photo: Kylie Sebastian
Mr. Crabtree, College Counseling
“It took me 10 years to figure out what I wanted to be doing to make me happy, and I wanted to be able to give back to the youth. I thought I was going to end up more with college athletes, and that’s what I did at Alabama, I got to teach a class there to college athletes, and it was really all about what is your legacy going to be when you're not whatever athlete you are now. And I think that’s something that athletes in general are afraid to talk about, because once you start talking about the end it’ll come fast, but at the end of the day, even around here, for the most part, IMG students, by the time your 25, your going to be done, if your lucky to play your sport that long, and if you don’t have a thought process or an idea of what you want to be doing, it’s hard, and you end up like me, kind of figuring out what you want to be doing and taking a long time to figure it out. That is my passion”
Michelle Boyd, Student Engagement/Past Campus Life
“I love coming into work each day and seeing what y’all have been up to. You are all so unique and constantly keep me on my toes! No day is ever the same at IMG and I think that’s what makes this place so exciting. As a mentor, I get to create such strong bonds with all of you and I am always rooting for your success! I am so lucky to be in a job where I can come to work every day and have fun!”
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Alexis Washington, Soccer Player
“Overtime things become routine, and as you push yourself constantly, you’re consumed by your will and determination to reach those successes and goals. My goals have changed overtime and my motivation has gone up and down, but I am always able to pick myself back up. Once I learned about two fractures in my back, this changed my overall trajectory to accomplish my goals. Ive seen many of my teammates affected by time consuming injuries that have impacted them not only physically, but mentally as well. These obstacles that athletes go through might kick you down, but it is important to know that this will only make you stronger. It is important sometimes, especially with IMG’s consistent competitive training, to sit back, relax, and focus on recovery because it is more important than playing that one game that could you keep you out even longer. We need to stay positive. As athletes we need to listen to our bodies, and understand when they are communicating with us, and take the appropriate recovery time to heal our bodies because at the end of the day, our bodies are everything.”
Photo: Kylie Sebastian
Anneke Pullen, Tennis Player
“Although I do not compete at the moment in this sport, horse riding has always been a part of my life. I began riding at age 6, even though I had wanted to start from as early on as age 2. I soon started competing in show jumpers, a discipline in riding. The feeling of competing brought so much thrill that I considered doing it for a job. I then started teaching younger kids and adults. To this day, I still reside as an assistant coach to my trainer. In addition, I help my trainer start young horses and bring them up to competition level. Even with all the dangers of riding, it is still a sport that brings me joy to this day.”
