After 42 years on the sidelines and in the classroom, Powell Middle School coach and math teacher Dale Estes, who retired from Park County School District 1 in May, has impacted thousands of lives.

TEACHING CAREER

Estes made his way to Powell as part of his student teaching, learning at the high school during the spring of 1984.

“The sixth grade math teacher, Gordon Kluksdahl, was retiring, so that interested me,” Estes said. “I really wanted to be a high school math teacher, but I thought if I can get in at the middle school, a lot of the teachers at the high school were older, and so they would probably be retiring within the next five to 10 years — then I’ll get a transfer and move over to the high school.”

Coming out of his student teaching, Estes said there were multiple opportunities that opened up in Wyoming, as he took an interview in Buffalo while waiting for the job to open in Powell.

He said initially he was offered a middle school and high school job of his choice in Buffalo, but decided to turn down the Buffalo offers, and wait until the Powell one opened up.

“Buffalo seems like a good community. I really like it over there, but I decided to gamble a little bit anyway,” Estes said.

He said after Kluksdahl submitted his resignation, he was offered the job in Powell.

“I don’t really remember any formal interview like we do today … next thing I know, I got the job,” Estes said.

Teaching higher level math was always his goal, but he felt like sixth grade was a good place to start, while also becoming involved in a prominent program that has become a staple at Powell Middle School.

“Somewhere along the line, old Lyle Rodgers started the Mathcounts program, and got me sucked in there,” Estes said. “I really enjoyed that.”

The Mathcounts program recently won its fourth consecutive state title this year in March.

Teaching at the middle school level quickly grew on Estes, and when an opportunity opened up at the high school he didn’t put in for it and the position went to another longtime teacher and coach, Troy Hildebrand. Instead, Estes put in for a higher level position at the middle school as the eighth grade position opened up after Marlitt Halstead retired.

“I stayed at the middle school, but then I was able to teach some Algebra 1, which is a high school level class, and since then I’ve been able to teach Algebra 2. I’ve really enjoyed working with the Mathcounts program too,” he said.

COACHING CAREER

Starting out coaching in Powell came with a bit of a surprise for Estes, as he ended up coaching a sport that he had never played in his life.

“Actually my first coaching job was high school tennis,” Estes said.

He said the opportunity came up following coach Keith Bloom’s surgery. He stumbled into the position after the district searched into his coaching credentials.

“The funny thing is, earlier that spring I was taking some courses for coaching, and I signed up for tennis. I’m not a tennis player, never played in my life, but I just needed another credit,” Estes said. “The guy teaching said somewhere in the course that ‘well you guys might think you’re just getting this for an easy credit, but you might end up coaching somewhere.’ Because there’s not a lot of tennis coaches in the state. Yeah, he was right.”

He said that first opportunity came and was quickly followed with a chance to coach middle school boys’ basketball, as he started with the seventh grade team that same fall.

He eventually started coaching the eighth grade girls’ basketball team, and then resigned from the boys position.

“I eventually had my boys, and when they got old enough to hunt I retired from the boys so we could do a little more hunting in the fall,” Estes said.

Estes said along the way he did want to be a high school coach, but looked at Ron Laird at the high school and compared the two positions they were in.

“I realized that I had about the same season as Ron did, and I was making more money than he was coaching middle school basketball. I thought, ‘well, it’s not too bad,’” Estes said. “I had an opportunity a time or two, some people wanted me to move up and coach freshman or whatever, and I just really enjoyed where I was at and what I was doing. So, after a number of years, I just decided I’ll stay where I’m at. Then, here we are today. It seems like in some ways, it went by pretty fast.”

Over the last four years Estes added another coaching credential in Powell, as he has helped with the Cub track team.

“I did track in high school and always wanted to do some coaching, I got a little stint here at the end to try that, and I really enjoyed it as an athlete,” Estes said. “It’s one of those sports that’s individual, but also team; students can still excel and have success, even though they might not as a team.”

REFLECTING

There have been thousands of kids who have come through the middle school and have been taught or coached by Estes, with growth being one of the most important themes from his career.

“There was one group I had, I think the first game we lost to Thermopolis; they had a really good team that year, we lost by 40, I think we didn’t score a point,” Estes said. “I just thought ‘man, we’re not going to win a game this season’ … We ended up playing Thermopolis in the championship that year, so we upset a team in the tournament.”

He said this year’s group had its ups and downs, but they put it together and won the conference championship in his final season.

“Finishing off with a win there and winning the conference championship was another fun one,” Estes said.

He said that throughout his life basketball has been his favorite sport to play in school as well as coach, and that some of the opportunities he was given came through building relationships.

“The thing about coaching is the relationships you build, and the thing I like about it too is it gives you opportunities when you’re down and everything looks hopeless to keep on doing the best you can. And keep fighting through, it’s amazing sometimes what can happen,” Estes said.

He said over time he has learned a lot in his position, while maintaining a philosophy throughout.

“I like to run, I like to press if we can, but I like to move the ball up and down the floor. I like to fast break,” Estes said.

Continuing to motivate players and ensure they are bought into the program is also an important part.

“It’s a challenge as a coach and a teacher to motivate and get them to buy in and I just always appreciate the kids that just work so hard for you,” Estes said. “Just being a good coach, you can’t always win. You do have to have some athleticism, but coaching does make a difference. It’s kind of a combination of both, and if you get a program established, a reputation or whatever, that helps. Because kids believe in you, they think you’re greater than you really are a lot of times.”

Finding a balance between coaching and teaching has always been a tiring process over the years, with each needing its own attention throughout the season.

“It’s kind of hard, when you’re coaching, the teaching suffers a little bit usually. I guess it’s just hard to be as prepared and on top of everything,” Estes said. “It’s emotionally draining. Because right after school you’re going to practice, or you have morning practices … It’s a pretty exhausting gig … You don’t really realize until you get done at the end of the year how mentally exhausted you are.”

CONTINUING ON

Submitting his retirement in Wyoming means that Estes will not be able to teach in Wyoming this next year, but he intends to continue his career just north of the border.

He said he has accepted a job in Lavina, Montana, just 45 minutes north of Billings.

“I’ll get to teach some new classes, that’s kind of my next move,” Estes said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better teaching job. Just feel really blessed to have been in Powell … It’s hard to believe it’s over here.”