Jimmy Lafakis/MDN Wayne Brackenbury gestures during the girls basketball District 12 Tournament at the Minot Municipal Auditorium. Brackenbury coaches multiple sports and teaches social studies classes at Mohall/Lansford/Sherwood High School.

Wayne Brackenbury is a coach, athletic director and social studies teacher at Mohall/Lansford/Sherwood High School. Brackenbury coaches girls basketball and also coached baseball last season.

The Minot Daily News spoke with Brackenbury in a recent one-on-one interview. Some responses are edited for brevity and clarity.

MDN: Why is the MLS community special to you?

WB: No. 1, they gave me a job 28 years ago. So that’s special in its own right. To be here, be accepted and be a part of their kids’ lives for that long, it’s been fun. It’s been a good ride for me and my family.

MDN: What’s the most rewarding part about being a coach?

WB: Just being around the kids and experiencing their ups and downs in their athletic careers. Not all the time as a coach have I made the right decision. I’ve certainly made my share of mistakes along the way. Sometimes, the kids let you know it. Sometimes, they accept your decisions. Other times, not. When you’re the coach, it’s rewarding when they come back and they visit with you all time. They’ll come to a ballgame, stop and say hello. That’s probably the best thing for me, when they come back.

MDN: Out of all the memorable games you’ve coached, do any stand out?

WB: I’ve had a lot of games that were memorable. The championship game way back in 2001, when my Yellowjackets team won the state title in Minot, North Dakota. It was a fun game, plain and simple. It was fun to be in, fun to coach. That time was memorable for me because I thought the whole building was rooting for us to win the dang thing. That was my interpretation of it, I guess. It might be different if you were on the other side, but I just thought that was the case at the time. That’s one of my memories. My last Yellowjackets team was 2004. I don’t know if I have one memorable game with that crew, but they were a group that overachieved. I was happy with that crew. I just thought they did everything that they could.

MDN: What have you learned from teaching, and what have your students taught you?

WB: They like a good story once in a while. Let’s put it that way. Kids like to hear a good story. As time has gone by, I’ve probably told more stories. If something triggers me in the classroom, I’ll tell a story to break up the classroom session. As far as what I’ve learned from them, you hear things from them. The good, the bad and the ugly. What I like is when they tell me their life experiences. You’ve just got to know that they’re kids and they go through things. You kind of feel bad for them. By the same token, it’s life. Not everything is going to be all roses, I guess. The best thing is that the kids keep you young. I’m 57 years old, so they just keep me young. They’re kids. They try to find ways out of things, but you try to show them that work is important and work ethic is important. That’s what I try to strive for the most. I want to get them to work a little bit and realize that work isn’t so bad. Work can be fun.

MDN: What are some things you like to do in your free time? Do you explore the outdoors?

WB: I like to fish. That’s probably one thing that COVID-19 has done. I’ve got to go out fishing in the afternoons a little bit. Not that I’m catching a lot of fish right now, but I do get outside. When you’re locked in the classroom, you don’t get to do that all the time. Since I took on baseball last spring, I got outside a little bit more. Obviously, baseball isn’t happening right now. I like to go pheasant hunting. That’s probably my favorite hunt, the pheasant hunt. I like to tool around in my yard and garden a little bit.

MDN: What do you like to catch in the water?

WB: Walleye. I’m a walleye guy.

MDN: If you could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be?

WB: The late Pat Summitt. I’ve read a few of her books in the last 10 years. My daughter is a big fan of hers. I was, too. I liked her philosophy. I just liked her because I thought she was hardcore. I guess I’m kind of in that same boat. I’m kind of a hardcore guy. I like a work ethic in kids. I like getting it out of them. I just like the way she taught, her philosophy and her book.

MDN: What did you learn from Coach Summitt through her books?

WB: It’s been a while since I read one. I’ve read three or four of them. Just how she conducted herself, I guess. Just her demeanor, her philosophy and the way she conducted herself. That’s what I got out of her, anyway. I would pick her brain and let her tell her stories. Her book dwelled on her kids, her players. Sometimes, kids ask me, ‘How do you remember those things?’ A game score, an event that happened or what happened during the game. Those things stick with you.

Jimmy Lafakis covers Minot High School sports and Class B high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @JJLII30.