“A good coach can change a game; a great coach can change a life!” … Legendary basketball coach John Wooden

For SSCS, that Spartans legend is Physical Education teacher and coach Tammy Behr.

The final game clock is ticking down on her long career as Coach Behr prepares to draw up her final play, hang up her whistle and clipboard and retire at the end of the school year.

Over her 35 years at SSCS she served 15 years as Athletic Director and coached a total of 46 different girls soccer, basketball and softball teams from modified to varsity level. That doesn’t even count her day job teaching K-12 Health and Physical Education to hundreds of Sharon Springs youth.

As she cleaned out her office she stumbled across sports memorabilia she forgot she had. This brings a smile of victory to her face.

“I have found a lot of fun notes and pictures from students over the years in these old files and folders,” Coach Behr says. “I have taught and coached so many young people and have a lot of fond memories of each one of them. Such good memories, really.”

Teaching or coaching was not part of the original game plan

But there was a time when teaching and coaching were not even in Coach Behr’s game plan. A surprise play, so to speak, when you consider as a student, herself, Tammy thrived in athletics and had a passion for sports. But she really didn’t know what she wanted to do after high school. Early on she was recruited to play basketball at Hartwick College and chose Medical Technology as her major. 

Then one day she was playing racquetball with her college Advisor and he asked her if she really saw herself working in a hospital lab as a career. She thought about what he said, called a timeout and then decided to switch majors and go into Physical Education. She applied to SUNY-Cortland and fell in love with the program there.

“I love all sports and I love kids so it was a perfect fit for me,” Coach Behr says. “Then I was fortunate to get my first job at SSCS and I’ve been here ever since. I fell in love with this school district from the time I started. Once a Spartan, always a Spartan!”

What it means to be a team player …

As Athletic Director, Coach Behr was instrumental in moving SSCS from the larger Western Athletic Conference to the Tri Valley League in 2014 so Sharon athletes could compete against similar sized schools. She also prides herself on being a “team player” in the district serving as a two-time class advisor (1996 and 2021), Varsity Club co-Advisor (35 years), a leader/officer in the Teachers Association (Vice President and Treasurer), a mentor to new teachers, and a supporter of SSCS Booster Club and Sharing and Caring program fundraisers.

She was also known for running open gyms and summer leagues to keep student-athletes on top of their game during the off seasons. In her early year she ran a student “Explorers” group which included outdoor educational activities like hiking and camping in the Adirondacks as well as community service projects.

Her favorite activities as a Ph Ed teacher were the parachute games for the elementary kids, team building activities with the middle schoolers, obstacle courses, archery and overall just enjoying the students when it was their time in the gym. Being a personal advisor to various classes was also special, she says, “because you really got to know the students on a more personal level. During homeroom time, at the dinners and on the students trips is where bonds are formed and you feel very connected to those students.”

What does Coach Behr consider to be her greatest accomplishments during her career?

“That would have to be the impact I have had on the many students I have taught and coached over the years,” she says. “I love having former students and athletes come up to me and chat about where they are now, or simply teaching and coaching the next generation of students.”

“On a personal level, my greatest accomplishment was raising productive children of my own who are now responsible adults. They are working, they enjoy what they do and are giving back to the community they live in. Looking back, the most difficult part of teaching and coaching are the long hours you work and many times you are giving up your family time to coach. But my family is everything to me.”

What did it mean to be a Spartan?

“As a Spartan we are warriors who never give up and I hope that I was able to instill that in my students and athletes,” she says. “I will always love the colors purple and white.”

What advice would Coach Behr give to her successor?

“Enjoy this small school district and how we are a genuine family. Get involved in as much as possible working with the students at SSCS and you will enjoy your time here. It is a very rewarding job!”

What will she miss most about her job?

“I will miss the children the most, and making a difference in their lives,” she says. “Plus coaching basketball has always been a passion of mine. And, of course, I will miss the friendships I have formed with my colleagues. There are such great and caring people here.”

What are Coach Behr’s plans in retirement?

“When you’re a coach and you put your all into it, it really takes up your spare time. Missing some family events because of a busy schedule
would always bother me. But in retirement I can finally spend more time with my family and parents, enjoy my grandchildren and attending their events. We also plan on traveling and going on adventures. I will be boating, motorcycling and hiking.”

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