The greatest impacts are not measured by grades or the score of a game. For Robert Keane, it is measured by the people whose lives he is able to touch everyday.
“When I first started, I was a substitute,” Keane said. “I chose history because I love stories. You get to see drama and the ways things play out and how things unfold. What I love is being able to tell students stories that capture their attention, and hopefully teach them something about the world they live in today.”
Keane always envisioned himself being a teacher. His involvement with sports also began at a young age. When he was younger, he could be found on the field.
“I played baseball from the time I was little, football in high school and I played club baseball in college,” Keane said. “I started coaching baseball because I love the sport, I continued coaching because I love the relationships that I get to have with the athletes. It’s the sport that brings you in and the people who keep you around. Some of my closest friends are people I’ve coached with.”
Even now, Keane always putshis whole heart into everything he does.
“Coach Keane is very caring of the players, he knows how to motivate them from different aspects,” Assistant Coach Kevin Ryan said. “He definitely puts in the hours when it comes to coaching. He’s dedicated to his craft.”
For Keane, passion isn’t just an emotion; it’s a lifestyle, and he has firm beliefs built on how hard work can direct one onto the best paths.
“If you’re willing to do things, and then you’re willing to try at the things that you’re doing, and you care about those things, you have an opportunity to be successful,” Keane said.
Keane lives off of his own advice by putting forth the same effort that he encourges others to have, into the passion he has while teaching and coaching.
“Sometimes his passion comes off as intense or intimidating to other people, but it’s just because he’s so passionate about what he does, whether that’s teaching or coaching or being a parent,” his wife Mitzi Keane, English teacher, said.
Beyond the classroom, R. Keane says he prefers to spend his free time with his daughters and family, since being a father has become a big part of his life.
“He’ll always choose to play with the girls rather than eat dinner or do something around the house that needs to be done,” M. Keane said. “He’s always wanting to have fun with the girls.”
His role as a father has helped lead him to building personal relationships with the players.
“When I hit my first homerun, he was happier than I was, just because he knows me and knows how hard I work in baseball,” senior Cole Sisti said. “He loves celebrating our victories no matter how big or how small they are.”
Similarly, his attention to detail guides the boys to success on the field.
“He notices small things while we bat, maybe it’s ‘keep your head up or don’t overstep’ but next thing you know, we end up on base or with an extra run,” senior Alberto Lopez said.
What stands out most about R. Keane to his players does not always happen during a game. “When it comes to anything he does he gives full effort all the time. He’s a very understanding coach,” Sisti said.
Many of R. Keane’s students say that he embodies what it means to be a true teacher.
“No matter what he’s doing, no matter who you are, he will always make time for you,” M Keane said.
