WETUMPKA, Ala. (WSFA) – Coach Jesse Ivey has a lot on his plate. He’s a coach in many different forms, an 8th grade teacher, a youth pastor, a middle school coach, a little league coach, and a father.
“I’m the head baseball coach, the associate head football coach, and the assistant basketball coach,” he said. “I know that we need to be there for the kids. I want to be there for the kids.”
The Wetumpka Middle School teacher has a long list of titles on his resume, including coach and youth pastor. He’s also a fighter, battling stage 5 kidney disease. He spends hours on dialysis several days a week. He was diagnosed recently after collapsing during his son’s little league game.
When asked how he keeps going, he said it’s simple.
“I know the kids are depending on me, and I have a little one at home who’s also depending on me,” Coach Ivey said. “At home, I’m ‘Coach Daddy’ to him. That keeps me going.”
It’s that drive that takes him to Wetumpka Middle School every day, to dialysis several days a week, and to church each Sunday. Motivation that began in the church, with God, and eventually led him to the classroom.
“I was a construction worker and a truck driver for years. Then I became a youth pastor at Relevant Church in Eufaula, and I loved working with kids. My wife was a teacher at the time. One of the kids said, ‘We only get to see you on Sundays and Wednesdays,’ and when I heard that, I realized I could do more.”
Now, between the sanctuary and the classroom, he works with kids year-round, focusing especially on pre-teens and teens. He hung up his truck keys four years ago and picked up textbooks and baseball bats.
“Middle schoolers are interesting because they’re dependent and independent at the same time. Sometimes they want your help and sometimes they don’t. But, most importantly, they all need love. For me, being a male role model for all students is important. It’s big. Some students really need that fatherly figure,” he said.
While he continues to teach and coach at Wetumpka Middle School, he admits the frequent dialysis treatments can take a toll mentally and emotionally.
His family members are now undergoing tests to see if they are a match for a kidney transplant. If not, he hopes to get on a transplant list soon.
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