Fredy Castaneda: What is your favorite thing about coaching baseball?

Rick Carvajal: The relationships.

Fredy Castaneda: How do you motivate the kids?

Rick Carvajal: Lead by example, practice what you preach.

Fredy Castaneda: If you could coach another sport what would it be?

Rick Carvajal: Basketball.

Fredy Castaneda: If you could have any superhero ability what would it be?

Rick Carvajal: To make people feel loved and happy. This world needs more of it.

Fredy Castaneda: If you could teach another subject, what would it be?

Rick Carvajal: Life skills. We get so caught up in things that are meaningless. Being able to know how to have good relationships with people.

Fredy Castaneda: What was your favorite subject as a kid?

Rick Carvajal: P.E.

Fredy Castaneda: What was your favorite cartoon or show as a kid?

Rick Carvajal: The Chappelle Show.

Fredy Castaneda: What do you do as a hobby?

Rick Carvajal: Be a dad and husband. Hunt.

Fredy Castaneda: What is your dream vacation?

Rick Carvajal: Having a Bungalow in Bora Bora. 

Fredy Castaneda: What is some advice you can give to the students?

Rick Carvajal: “People ask how do I stay motivated. Answer: I don’t. But I also don’t care about motivation. Motivation might as well be dumb luck. It doesn’t get ish done. It’s nitrous on a race car. It will give you a short boost but if you don’t have fuel in your gas tank, you won’t go very far. Discipline is what gets ish done. If I have a goal, then I just DECIDE that I will do whatever it takes to get it done. It doesn’t matter how I feel or motivated I am.” – Layne Norton

Fredy Castaneda: What are your strengths as a teacher?

Rick Carvajal: Having great relationships with my students. Being flexible and understanding that life happens. And that ultimately, I’m just trying to help them become better people. And I care. About each and every one of them. About how they’re feeling, how things are going for them and that I’m going to try to do my best to help as much as I can.

Fredy Castaneda: What’s your educational background?

Rick Carvajal: I almost didn’t pass high school. I was never someone that wanted to do well in school. But I grew up. I have my master’s now. And I think that’s the case for many of the kids at this school.

Fredy Castaneda: Where do you see yourself in five years?

Rick Carvajal: Father of four—maybe a boy, God willing. Own a ranch. And just continuing to live a life for Christ.