Bobby Segal, Gibson Southern’s newest faculty member, is originally from Indianapolis, Indiana. He attended North Central High School and graduated in 2002. He went to Indiana University Bloomington for a bachelor’s of science in kinesiology, with a focus on sports marketing and management. Last year, he became the new head coach of the Titan baseball team. This year, he joined Gibson Southern’s staff to teach a physical education class and five basic skills study hall classes.
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Southerner: Where all have you lived?
Segal: “In 2007, I was down in Sarasota, Florida, for three months with the Cincinnati Reds, and then I moved up to Cincinnati to be with the big league team. I was a baseball operations intern during the 2007 season. From there, I got into the coaching world. I moved from Cincinnati to Barbourville, Kentucky. I was a graduate assistant, so I got my master’s degree in 2008-2009 as an assistant coach at Union College, which is in Kentucky. So I got my master’s in physical education from there. I came back to Indianapolis and was a volunteer assistant at Butler University for a year. From there, I took a job in Council Bluffs, Iowa, which is right across the river from Omaha, Nebraska. After that, I went down to Stephenville, Texas, and was at Tarleton State University as an assistant coach in 2012. Then, I made my way back up to this area in 2013, over at Wabash Valley Community College as an assistant coach, and I was there from 2013 to 2016.”
Southerner: What genre of music do you like?
Segal: “I don’t know if I have a specific [genre]. I’ve learned to really appreciate music the older I’ve gotten. Even country music, for instance, going to Nashville to the Country Hall of Fame. That was a pretty eye-opening experience; understanding that a lot of music tells stories, and some of the stories in country music are pretty fascinating to me. I like music with some upbeat rhythm and there’s some EDM [I like]. I like rock. I don’t know if I have a specific one.”
Southerner: Do you prefer sweet and salty food? Why?
Segal: “I’d probably say salty just because I’d probably be more motivated to probably drink water or something, maybe be a bit healthier. I still have too much of a sweet tooth, and usually when I have something sweet, I have to have a big glass of milk.”
Southerner: What are the biggest challenges of teaching so far?
Segal: “I think the biggest challenges are trying to figure out what makes individual students tick. If I have ten students in a class, everybody is different. That and then a lot of high school students, sometimes they’re a bit tough as far as just like following real simple rules. It’s day-to-day, you know? Some kids have really good days, others don’t. So, just navigating different behaviors, but then also different attitudes.”
Southerner: What’s your favorite part about teaching?
Segal: “I think my favorite thing of teaching would be to persevere enough with these kids on a daily basis that when they do accomplish goals and do certain things that maybe you thought ‘Man, is this ever going to happen?’ There’s been a couple of fist-pumping moments in the semester already where I’m just really proud that they finished an assignment or did really well on a test or even just communicating with teachers. It’s all about the small wins, but sometimes it takes a while for those to appear. But, I think that’s what I enjoy the most is just seeing kids achieve their goals.”
Southerner: What’s the craziest thing that’s on your bucket list?
Segal: “I think the craziest thing I’ve done is jumped out of an airplane. I didn’t think I would ever do that, but I went skydiving in the summer of 2011. For me to actually jump out of an airplane was pretty wild.”
Southerner: What’s your favorite cuisine or dish?
Segal: “I like sushi. I don’t know if that’s a dish per se, but I like different varieties of sushi. I’m kind of a big carb guy. I like a good Italian dish, maybe like Alfredo, like an Alfredo sauce, Chicken Alfredo or something like that. Or, carbonara, something in that realm.”
Southerner: If you could go anywhere for vacation, where would you go?
Segal: “I know we’ve talked about Hawaii and Costa Rica. I’ve been on some islands before, but I think Hawaii just because it is a U.S. state. Just seeing volcanoes and hula dancers and just the culture out there, I think that would be pretty cool to see. And then Costa Rica, you’re driving through the rainforest, and it’s a little bit different.”
Southerner: Is it hard to juggle baseball and teaching?
Segal: “We’ve had a fair share of fall workouts, but the IHSAA only allows us to do so many hours per week. I’d say the toughest part was just juggling my kids after school. I’ve brought them over to the field to practice. But, the real test for me will be in the spring when we are in the heart of our season, and we’re practicing six days a week and all that kind of stuff. It’s been a nice transition, like in the fall where it doesn’t seem too overbearing, but it’ll definitely be a challenge coming up here soon.”
Southerner: What is your most interesting fact about yourself?
Segal: “I have coached high school, collegiate and professional baseball for 18 years. I know how to speak Spanish and Hebrew. I played the trombone in middle school, as well.”
Southerner: What are your favorite pastimes/hobbies?
Segal: “[I enjoy] outdoor activities with my family, occasional bowling, golf, pickleball. I like to mow grass.”
Southerner: If you didn’t pursue being a baseball coach, what else would you have chosen?
Segal: “I would have used my degrees in another form and probably connected with the front office of a sports team and tried to put emphasis into their community relations department. I have always had interest in people and especially those who are potential supporters of what you are doing. Also, I enjoy assisting those who are less fortunate and those in need.”
Southerner: What’s your favorite thing about GSHS so far?
Segal: “There is a strong sense of community.”
