Coach Spotlight: PS 98's Coach Boyle!

Coach Kristin Boyle with Mia (right) and her PS 98 poet-athletes in 2016

Coach Kristin Boyle has been a trailblazer for America SCORES New York within her community for almost seven years. She was originally introduced to the program during her first year of teaching at PS 325, her first experience working with a New York City Public School.

Eager to become more involved in her new school, Boyle started as the girl’s poetry coach in Fall 2013 and continued through the following spring season. Coach Boyle observed the positive difference and impact that the SCORES program made in the lives of the students at her school and she believes now that SCORES helped contribute to her successful first year teaching in New York City public schools.

“I was able to experience the excitement and dedication of the team members as they performed their poems in the Poetry Slam and read their poems aloud to the elderly in the nursing home as part of their community service project,” she recalls. “The teamwork and leadership skills that many students developed after practicing and participating in soccer games are qualities that all children will obtain after participating in the SCORES program.”

When Boyle relocated to the Inwood school, PS 98, ahead of Fall 2014, she quickly realized the impact that SCORES could have there. Throughout the school year, she remained in touch with the ASNY staff and programming began during the 2016-2017 school year.

Now in their fourth year of programming, Boyle has served as the liaison for SCORES at PS 98 and has also coached the girls’ soccer team and loves being able to bring the SCORES ideals of fair play, leadership, and commitment to the poet-athletes of PS 98 every day.

Coach Boyle’s dedication does not go unnoticed by her students, whose enthusiasm reflects their coach’s approachable character. On game days, the “Gem Stars” and “Nitros” of PS 98 proudly wear their purple SCORES jerseys, high-fiving and singing throughout the hallways. Coach Boyle admires their excitement and awe when they visit other schools on game days and she loves being able to witness them participating in new experiences and travelling to new environments through SCORES. As Poetry SLAM reigning champions, PS 98 has been well-equipped, thanks to Coach Boyle, for the fall season.

The influence she has on her students extends far beyond their years at SCORES. Several of Coach Boyle’s PS 98 alum still return to game days to volunteer as referees, assistant coaches, or cheerleaders for their former team. One soft-spoken PS 98 alum, Mia, now in middle school and who was on Coach Boyle’s team from the very beginning from 3rd to 5th grade, had the opportunity to meet Megan Rapinoe and had the confidence to perform a poem for her about racial and gender equity at the 2019 Glamour Women of the Year Awards this November. Her excitement was unmatched and she attributes SCORES and, more specifically, Coach Boyle with helping her build the confidence she needed for such an exciting opportunity.

Playing soccer throughout her life has provided Coach Boyle with the wisdom and fair play that can only be achieved from playing a sport, and she is eager to continue passing those experiences down to her students.

“My goal is to inspire students not only academically but also personally,” says Boyle, “That is why I make it a point to get to know each and every student and player on an individual level. I drive off the players’ desire to want to help each other, their team, their coaches and better themselves as individuals.”