A coach and athlete relationship that transcends the fairway at Ardrey Kell HS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Daniel Karaszewski grew up in Buffalo, New York, watching and playing golf with his father. “This was during the 90s, when Tiger Woods was dominating the scene and it was just so exciting to watch,” he says.
He loved golf not just for the sport itself, but for the camaraderie and larger life lessons it conveyed as well. “Being outdoors in the quiet without cell phones, it’s a great way to build relationships. And it prepares you for life as you learn the sport. There are no referees; you’re policed by your own sanctions. There’s an element of integrity there.” It’s no surprise that he ended up studying education and history in college, with the plan to teach and coach when he graduated. “I’ve always desired to serve my community and its students, and golf is a different way to build those connections. I wanted to share my passion for it.”
This desire eventually led Daniel to Charlotte, and then to Ardrey Kell High School, where he has served as history teacher and head golf coach for the past three years. There, “Coach K” is beloved by students and parents alike for his ability to cultivate strong relationships.
One of the best connections he has made over the past few years was also perhaps one of the most challenging, at least initially. In 2019, Coach K welcomed a new group of high school freshmen into his homeroom class. One of them, Kyle Branscom, seemed particularly quiet and reserved.
“He was very shy at first, but he found his own way to introduce himself to me.” Kyle has Down Syndrome and can struggle with speech at times, so he had devised a way to tell his new homeroom teacher about himself: a PowerPoint presentation. “He had it ready to go, with slides telling me about his hobbies and interests,” says Coach K. “It’s funny, I could tell from that moment that Kyle just loves to make people’s day.”
At Ardrey Kell, all students keep the same homeroom class and teacher for the duration of their four years there. “It’s another way for us to build community and ensure that kids don’t get lost in such a big school,” says Coach K. That community became even more important when the pandemic hit in early 2020. As teachers scrambled to move to online teaching, the effect on the students was palpable. “Yes, there were a lot of new challenges for teachers, but I don’t want it to get lost that there was a lot of stress placed on kids as well,” says Coach K. Relationships with his students are paramount to his entire teaching and coaching philosophy, so he had to get creative with ways to build those connections remotely. “With Kyle, we shared a lot of PowerPoint presentations back and forth and played a lot of Kahoot!”
At this point in time, not only was Coach K working double time to transition to virtual learning, but he was also preparing for a major life change: he and his wife were expecting their first baby. “This was the height of the pandemic,” he says. “There was a lot of anxiety, especially when my wife went into labor a month early.” As first-time parents, they had done all they could to prepare, including prenatal testing. Therefore it came as a particular shock when their son, Brooks, was born and shortly thereafter diagnosed with a genetic disorder: Down Syndrome. “It was of course jarring and unexpected. A million questions racing through our minds. ‘What would our experience look like?’ ‘What could we expect for our son, and for his future?’”
These questions and more were on Coach K’s mind as he eventually returned back to virtual teaching. One day, not long after Brooks’ birth, Kyle’s mom Conni happened to walk across the screen during class. “I asked Kyle to introduce her and the rest of the family to the class,” says Coach K. This was the beginning of a new relationship that would be a gift to both the Branscom and the Karaszewski families.
“I remember that summer, between Kyle’s freshman and sophomore year, getting a call from Coach K,” says Conni. “He had always taken a special interest in Kyle and was great about checking in, but this time he was asking a lot of specific questions about Down Syndrome. He told me that his son had Down Syndrome as well.” Conni and her husband Dave have been an invaluable resource to the Karaszewskis as they’ve navigated the first couple years of Brooks’ life. “They’ve connected me to the close-knit Down Syndrome community in Charlotte, and have helped me think through how to advocate for Brooks as he gets older,” says Coach K. Conni was more than willing to share her experience with him. “I remember asking him, ‘Do you want me to sugarcoat, or do you want me to tell the truth?’ It’s so scary facing the unknown, and the truth is that every family who has a child with Down Syndrome has a different experience.”
Watching Kyle gives Coach K inspiration and hope for what it might look like for Brooks to be a high-schooler one day. “Seeing Kyle’s successes make me look forward to Brooks’ successes, and to see Kyle thrive in high school gives me hope for my son as well.” One of Coach K’s biggest hopes for his son is that he will always be included. “As the father of a child with a disability, I want to make sure he’s included in things. In the same way, I want Kyle to be included in things. At AK, we pride ourselves on a well-rounded experience for students, and that shouldn’t be different for kids with disabilities. As I reflected on that, I thought ‘What better way to give a kid that than to have a leadership role on a sports team?’” With this in mind, Coach K asked Kyle to be the manager of the AK golf team. “Kyle has always been active and athletic,” Conni says, “so this was something that really played to his strengths.” The girls’ golf team immediately took to the idea. “They had the idea to do a video montage to ask him,” says Coach K. “They each took a turn telling him a little about what to expect. He had the biggest smile on his face watching that.”
Kyle managed the girls’ team throughout their season and developed some close relationships in the process. “It’s something all high schoolers crave—to be a part of something, to belong,” Coach K says. And of course, Kyle is not the only student benefitting from the arrangement. “My hope is that it teaches his peers inclusion,” Conni says. Dave agrees. “Hopefully it helps them to become more accepting of all types of individuals, and to see people in a different light. Maybe there’s someone who’s different from them, but they can still relate to, talk to, and be buddies with.”
When asked what he would want people to know about Down Syndrome, Kyle’s answer is simple and to the point. “Don’t make fun of me. Be kind.” It seems that the kids at Ardrey Kell have taken that advice to heart. Coach K’s voice is full of gratitude when he reflects on the Ardrey Kell community. “I’m very thankful to AK for building this culture of inclusion. It’s so special to witness and be a part of. I’m thankful for the golf team for accepting Kyle and embracing him as he takes on this role. This community is so supportive, not just to high schoolers, but to the smallest of children like Brooks. And the Branscoms have been an advocate not just for Kyle, but for the whole Down Syndrome community.”
The Branscoms are equally thankful for the impact Coach K is making at Ardrey Kell. “He goes above and beyond for his students,” says Dave. “His family is his top priority, but he somehow has the capacity to give so much to his students as well. To watch him with the kids, it’s really amazing to see. We’re so grateful for the ways he always checks in on Kyle and goes out of his way to make sure he’s taken care of.”
No one knew it when Kyle first stepped foot into Coach K’s homeroom that morning of August 2019, but lives were about to be changed for the better. Some things are just meant to be.
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