Coach Byriq “BJ” Alzaid is all about collaboration.
Since Alzaid, the boys athletic coordinator, got to Poe Middle School this year, football games have become school-wide events. He visited various departments on campus, and recruited choir students to perform the national anthem, LOTC color guard to present the colors, and theatre students have volunteered to start a dance program. A teacher has become a DJ, playing music and calling play-by-play. Miller Elementary School sent cheerleaders.
“I’ve had teachers come up to me and say this is a great atmosphere,” Alzaid said. “I think the biggest thing that I get out of it, and our coaches and the students get out of it, is that there’s a collaboration of every department. I think the families are seeing that, and it’s exciting."
Alzaid, a San Antonio native, got his educational start at Collins Garden Elementary in San Antonio ISD before finishing his education in Harlandale. He served eight years in the U.S. Army and earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Concordia University Texas. Now in his 14th year in education, he has spent the last four years in SAISD, starting out at Democracy Prep – Stewart before coming this year to Poe. And he’s been building bridges ever since.
“I said when I got here that my biggest goal was to build a culture,” Alzaid said. “That’s what we’re doing, we’re building a culture. It’s not about wins and losses. It’s about establishing a foundation where everybody’s really working together and trying to feel that they are a part of something.”
He’s also been working with parents. He started a parent newsletter, has a group chat, and parent meetings. He goes around and visits with parents after every football game, whether a win or loss.
“I also have to make sure that I communicate with the parents that we’re going to hold every student accountable, and though you’re always going to get some pushback at first, once the parents see that you’re in it sincerely to help the kids that they start offering their help as well, and that’s when the wheel starts to really turn. You can see that there’s going to be a difference.”
With football season coming to an end after Saturday’s homecoming game, Alzaid has set his sights to the future — both with other sports seasons and his students’ futures. A self-described basketball “junkie,” he can’t wait for that season to start Oct. 15, but has some plans in the works for all his athletes, including soccer and track, to hopefully see some college and professional level sports.
“Our goal is to let kids be able to see, ‘Hey this is how a college football game is, this is a professional basketball game, this is a professional soccer game,’” he said. "The kids need to see, ‘This could be you if you put your mind to it and if you work hard.’”
He and his coaching staff, LOTC instructor Sgt. Maj. Frankie Woods, social studies teacher Mark Monju, and Miller Elementary School P.E. teacher Robert Rodriguez, spend time in every practice talking to students about citizenship and possibilities for their futures.
“A lot of these young men are inner city kids, like me, that I know come from broken homes, and they need a father figure,” Alzaid said. “Our staff is very good. We try to really help the kids, guide them, mentor them, and just show them how to be a good citizen. We’ll have practice for about an hour and a half; we’ll teach them techniques, teach them skills, and then we kind of close off with some life lessons too, trying to make sure we do the right thing.”
Seeing the students respond, whether it’s greeting him in the hallway or sharing personal stories, is what keeps him going. In fact, recovering from a recent surgery, he still attended the game as a spectator, even if he couldn’t yet return to the sideline.
“For me, this is not a job, this is really my passion,” Alzaid said. “I have to pinch myself that I get paid to do this. I just want to make the impact in any way I can. If I can make an impact for one student, then I know, at least I did my job.”