I was joined by Kristen Ohberg via Zoom from her home on Candlewood Lake to talk about working at Brewster High School, lacrosse, and the mantras she tries to instill upon her students.
Kristen Ohberg: How are you?
Frankie Becerra: I’m doing alright dude, how are you?
KO: Oh my god this is nuts… I’m a new homeowner, so-
FB: Congratulations! I heard!
KO: Yeah, yeah it’s been a whirlwind but very blessed.
FB: Very exciting. As much as it hurts to lose you to the state of Connecticut I’m thrilled for you.
KO: (Laughs) I know it, I know it. I gotta change over my license, that’ll be the scary part.
FB: That makes it real.
KO: Yeah.
FB: So are you alright with jumping into some of these questions I got for you?
KO: Yeah, go for it.
FB: What’s one way you’ve changed since high school?
KO: Wow, that’s- we’re going deep. Alright one way that I have changed since high school… Umm, really just putting my best foot forward really. I don’t know, that’s a deep question I guess. Can we circle back to that one while I think about it?
FB: We can, but they are I would say of similar depth as we continue.
KO: Oh! Ok, alright. Here we go.
FB: So if you wanna just get this one out of the way, it can be simple, it can be as basic as you want it to be.
KO: I like it. Alright so say the question one more time.
FB: What’s one way you’ve changed since high school?
KO: I basically have made it to the spot where I had envisioned and dreamed of and I’m very proud of myself with how far I’ve gotten. I’ve definitely put my best foot forward, and I’m very blessed to be doing what I’m doing every day. From high school, what I’ve changed, basically nothing much really. I’m just doing what I’ve always wanted to do.
FB: Same old Kris, just getting paid for it?
KO: Yeah, just getting paid for it now. It’s nice to see it work out honestly.
FB: That’s great. Alright so something kind of similar that you touched on a little bit there, what’s something you’ve accomplished in the last ten years that you’re proud of?
KO: Ooh there’s a lot of things. I’m definitely proud of the fact that I’m back home being a Brewster Bear (physical education teacher). I just got tenured, so that’s even more exciting.
FB: I saw, awesome. Congrats!
KO: Yeah, thank you! I’m now the head coach at the varsity (girls lacrosse) level, so that was another big accomplishment you know? Growing up and doing all that with (Coach) Walsh and the D.O. (district office). It was very surreal getting it handed over to me. Winning a national championship in college, that was a checkmark off of the bucket list. And it was nice to see all the hard work pay off. There’s a couple of things, and now I bought a home! Adulting officially (laughs).
FB: Very official.
KO: Broke forever (laughs).
FB: So now with that in mind what’s something you hope to accomplish in the next ten years?
KO: Ooh the next ten years, um just be happy really. Happy within life, you know? Hopefully starting a family, that’s definitely a goal. And giving back to the community, and getting this lacrosse program where I can see it and envision it to go.
FB: Nice, that’s great. So we’ve already touched on high school a little bit, but what, if anything do you miss most about high school? I know your relationship with missing it might be a little different than most people’s being that you’re technically still in the building. Or back in the building I should say.
KO: Yeah, no, definitely just your friends, right? Everybody moves away and those connections are harder to stay in contact with. Everybody gets in their own world and it’s hard to see everyone and get on the same page. We all have busy lives now so it’s hard to take a step back to try to see everyone. I miss being able to just (say) “hey, what are you doing? Wanna go grab some food?” you know? Quick dial up and then you’re out. But now everyone’s south or across the United States or in the city so it’s a traveling experience. But yeah, probably just stepping out and seeing everybody.
FB: That makes sense.
KO: (And) the culture. Like football games and that fun stuff.
FB: So do you think that you left high school prepared for the next phase of your life?
KO: I actually do, and I actually give a lot of that credit to my mom and Coach Walsh and honestly sports. I think it helped me create those good habits to be able to handle balancing school, balancing a life, balancing sports. So I felt that I was ready for it, and I mean you’re never ready for it until you’re there but it definitely gave me characteristics that I can deal with it and handle it and get on through with it. So yeah I feel like once I left school I felt like I was prepared, ready to go.
FB: Good, I’m glad.
KO: Yeah!
FB: So if you could change one thing about your time in high school knowing what you know now, what would you change if anything?
KO: There’s always another day. Don’t dawdle on if there was drama or anything negative, right? Got a bad test? Alright, on to the next one. So don’t dawdle on the little things because there’s always another day make up for it. I always tell my (lacrosse) girls get 1% better than the day before, so I’ve kind of stuck to that myself with each day trying to get a little better. 1% better each day, that’s kind of my motto.
FB: So that’s another one that kind of ties in nicely to the next question, almost answered it in a way, but as a member of the class of 2013, do you have any advice for the class of 2023 as they enter this next phase of life? And again you obviously have a little more of a connection with them than most of my participants.
KO: Yeah, wow. Ok so what I tell my girls is to enjoy the little things, the little moments, because once those four years (of college) are up, it’s a different world. You’re adulting. So I literally tell them go to the parties, go out with your friends, if you’re tired suck it up, do it, because you’re not gonna get those moments back. Make the most of it pretty much is what I would tell them because they like to dawdle like I said on those small things. But I’ve learned, so I try to pass that along to them.
FB: That’s good, and this is one of those things, I think I’ve probably told you this at some point in our time working together, and if not I’ve definitely told our shared students plenty of time, but I feel like you are so perfectly placed in your career where it’s one of those things that gives me a little bit more hope to see someone who is such a good fit in their job and I just think that you are such a great role model and person for these kids to have because of not only your experience and love for what you do but like, and having kind of been there myself, it really helps to have a younger person to connect with them. Like having not been that far out from high school and college we are people that are able to kind of connect with them on stuff like that, and so it probably means a little bit more coming from someone like us, you know?
KO: Yeah, and I appreciate that. It’s nice to see too and make those connections because like for instance we just had our alumni game, and I’ve been coaching here since 2018, and we had girls come back from 2018 that are now graduating (college) so it’s crazy to see but to be a part of culture and still be a part of that culture in my eyes is really cool. And I get to vicariously live through them (laughs).
FB: Yeah of course. So now with the current seniors on our mind, do you think you would rather be a high schooler right now or in the early 2010s when we were there?
KO: Ah definitely when we were there (laughs). They got a lot more on their plate these days and you know, going through covid a lot was taken from them, a lot of core memories a lot of core just growing opportunities were taken away from them, and you can see it.
FB: Absolutely.
KO: It’s a little sad, scary in a sense, but I’m hoping they can make up those few years. But yeah, no, definitely back when we were school. No phones, well we had phones but none of this online stuff.
FB: They were basic.
KO: They were very basic… But yeah very basic back then, so I would definitely say back then… they have a lot more influence through the cellphones these days.
FB: One thing we never did when we were in high school, or to my knowledge our high school never really did it, was senior quotes. Do you have a quote that you think you would’ve used back then or one that you like now?
KO: Wow… Senior quote… I don’t know, I’d have to think on that one. Probably “nobody cares, work harder” because at the end of the day it’s up to you. So what do you want to get accomplished, how are you gonna get there, because you have to look out for yourself, you know what I mean? So work harder.
FB: Now is that something that someone actually said, or just kind of like a mantra?
KO: No, it’s kind of a mantra actually from one of my coworkers. I’ll be like “I’m super tired today” and he’s like “nobody cares, work harder” and you’re like “yeah, actually you’re right”. I’m here, so like I said you gotta put your best foot forward, so even when you’re tired you still gotta make sure you’re changing lives.
FB: Yeah I get that, for sure.
KO: Yeah.
FB: Now before we wrap up here, do you have any questions for me? And it’s ok if you don’t.
KO: Well how’s comedy going for you?
FB: It’s going alright. I think I mentioned I moved to the city at the beginning of this year, I’m living in Brooklyn now.
KO: That’s good.
FB: And so I moved here with the mindset of that’s why I’m getting down here, but as soon as I got down here it kind of hit me that doing comedy hadn’t really been making me as happy in like the last few months or so, and I kind of didn’t even realize it because I was so focused on moving down here. That process took up pretty much the entire second half of my year last year. As soon as the school year ended last year that was like the main thing I was focused on and that kind of ate up the rest of my year. So I’ve been doing a lot of evaluating with that part of my life and I’m taking a bit of a step away from comedy for now, and I actually just started grad school to become a school counselor.
KO: Congratulations! That’s awesome! You’re gonna be so good at that. I could see you doing that.
FB: Thank you, I literally have a class right after this. I’ve been reading and doing quizzes all day, it’s already stressing the shit out of me, but we’re making it work.
KO: Yeah, no that’s awesome though! Congratulations. You’re gonna love it. You’re gonna do so good with it.
FB: Thank you, I appreciate that.
KO: That’s gonna be really cool. Is there a specific grade level you want to work with?
FB: High school. When I started subbing I was working in the high school and middle school, and then post-covid I was just working in the high school because it came easier to me and the kids were better to work with.
KO: I love the high school. It’s so easy.
FB: And I just connected with the kids we had so much, I’m literally going to graduation next week.
KO: Yeah! Cool, I’ll see you there!
FB: That was a really big part of what led me to this decision I think.
KO: Yeah, they make your day better, that’s for sure. They also give you a run for your money sometimes, but at the end of the day they’re great. You’re gonna love it. And they lean on you a lot throughout these past years so I can only imagine it getting more and more needed.
FB: Right, definitely. Because like we were saying this whole “covid generation” unfortunately is gonna like- I really don’t think we’ve even begun to see the full effects, especially on the younger, like the even younger, kids. It’s definitely gonna be interesting for us.
KO: Mhm, the maturity level is just not there anymore. Lightyears behind, like certain things that you wouldn’t say, they just say.
FB: And it’s to an extent not even their fault, like I remember when I would have classes of freshman last year I would have to take a step back and remind myself like the last full year of school they had, they were in like fifth grade or sixth grade so like they really lost so much of normalcy at such an important developmental stage where it’s like as much of a pain in the ass as it can be you gotta work with them on that.
KO: Yeah that’s true, I am concerned though. I feel like there’s a disconnect between a lot of these kids’ social and emotional growth and development, you know? Like this particular group is gonna have so many challenges facing them as they move through high school and ultimately leave us one day to further their careers, you know whether that’s continuing on an academic path or going right into a skill or a trade
FB: Yeah it’s gonna be interesting for sure.
KO: Congratulations though, I’m so excited for you! If you need anything, let me know.
FB: Thank you, I appreciate it.
(This interview has been edited for length and clarity)
13 On 13 