Dan Rath never imagined that a chance phone call from a small-town Illinois principal would set the course for his career and life. Yet here he is, some 14 years later, deeply rooted in the Ottawa community and making a difference in the lives of Shepherd Middle School students as the 8th Grade Boys Basketball Coach and PE Instructor. But before all this, Dan was just a young man from Lake Mills, Wisconsin, unsure of where life would take him after college.

“I graduated from UW-Platteville in 2007, right when the recession was hitting,” Dan recalls. “There weren’t many jobs, so I spent a year substitute teaching back in my hometown. Then, I expanded my search.” As fate would have it, his search would bring him to Ottawa, Illinois, where his parents had roots and where many of his extended family lived.

At the time, Lori Kimes, the principal at Shepherd Middle School, was vacationing in Lake Mills every summer. She called Dan for an interview and, knowing his background in adaptive physical education, offered him a job. “It was almost serendipitous,” Dan says, smiling. But there was a catch—due to budget cuts, the position might only last a year.

“I found out in my first year that my position would be cut,” Dan remembers. It was a tough blow, especially after he had started to feel at home in Ottawa. But in the unpredictable world of education, doors open in unexpected places. Jama Wahl, the principal at Central Elementary, stepped in and offered Dan a teaching assistant position, which allowed him to stay in Ottawa. “I thought, ‘Well, at least I have insurance,’” Dan jokes. From there, he served as a TA at both Jefferson and Lincoln before eventually landing the PE instructor role at Shepherd when Ryan Myers transitioned to an administrative position.

Since that moment, Dan has found his calling. “I’ve been here ever since, and I love it,” he says. For Dan, PE is more than just running laps and playing dodgeball. It’s about creating a space where kids of all skill levels feel included, challenged, and empowered to lead active lives.

Dan and his colleague, Callie Schmidt, have worked hard to increase student participation in PE. One of the innovations Dan introduced is a choice-based model. “We give students options,” Dan explains. “They can play basketball, use the fitness center, walk and talk, or try something like pickleball. The idea is to meet them where they are and give them the freedom to move in a way that works for them.”

The approach has been a hit. “One of our students started playing pickleball here, and now she and her dad go to the courts in town all the time,” Dan says proudly. It’s moments like these that remind him why he chose a career in education. “We’re not just teaching kids to be physically active; we’re helping them form lifelong habits.”

Dan’s influence extends far beyond the gym. As the head coach of the eighth-grade boys' basketball team, he’s seen firsthand how sports can be a motivating factor for students. “For some kids, sports are what keeps them on track,” he says. “They know they need to keep their grades up if they want to play, so it teaches them time management, responsibility, and discipline.”

Coaching has also given Dan plenty of “teachable moments.” “In sports, like in life, you’re going to mess up,” he says. “I tell my players, it’s not about whether you fail, but how you learn from it. I’ve learned more from losses than wins, and that’s a lesson I try to pass on to them.”

Dan’s calm, thoughtful demeanor has earned him respect from students and colleagues alike. But ask him about his success, and he’ll shrug it off with humility. “I just like working with kids,” he says simply. “And I love sports, so it seemed like a natural fit.”

Although Dan has now lived in Ottawa for over a decade, he still sees the town through the lens of someone who grew up in a small community. “Lake Mills had about 5,000 people, so coming to Ottawa, which has around 20,000, felt big at first,” he says. “But it doesn’t feel like a big town. It’s neighborly here, and people really come together, especially in tough times.”

That sense of community is something Dan has experienced firsthand. In addition to his teaching and coaching responsibilities, he’s worked at Ottawa’s family recreation program for over 13 summers and spent time working at the local video store. “Those jobs helped me meet more people,” he says. “Some of my best friends today are people I met through those experiences.”

For Dan Rath, Ottawa isn’t just where he works—it’s where he’s made a life. Whether it’s on the basketball court or in the gym, Dan’s commitment to his students and to the community shines through in everything he does.