Coach Piirainen, or as we call him, Coach P., is not only Elm Street School’s basketball and baseball coach, he is also a friend and a loving father. His cool, calm attitude helps us have fun and enjoy practices and games. We always share a good laugh. Coach P. always makes sure that every player plays at least two minutes of the game. Whether we win or lose, he is always encouraging us. You can ask any player on our team what he thinks of Coach P. I am certain that each will say good things.

Not only does Coach P. care about us on the court, he also cares about our lives off the court. At the end of every practice, he always tells us to go home, tell someone we care about them, shake someone’s hand for no apparent reason, or tell someone we love them. He always has different advice at the end of every practice. He always says that school comes first; and he doesn’t get mad at us if we stay after school for Homework Help and miss a practice.

Coach P. is one of those people who I always want to be around. It is very rare to find Coach P. not smiling. He is very easy to get along with; and I am so privileged to have him for a coach. Coach P. has really made a huge impact in my life.