PEOPLE OF INTEREST
The ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
GREG GARDNER
Nowhere is Jaguar pride more evident than when Port St. Lucie High School athletes are on the field and they see their athletic director, Danny Ninestine,
cheering for them — whether they are playing away or at home.
Danny Ninestine has been a role model for generations
of students as a coach, teacher, and athletic director at
Port St. Lucie High School.
“It is mind boggling – tens of thousands of kids over the
years and I see every kid in the school who goes to lunch,”
said Ninestine, who has been at Port St. Lucie since 1990.
He has been head coach and assistant coach for baseball,
football and basketball.
“Kids come up to me and say, ‘You had my mom and dad
in your class.’ ” Ninestine said. “Or someone will come up
introduce me to his family and tell me about his job. ‘And
I remember when you told me. . .’ I remember their faces
and sometimes their names, but I don’t remember a word
of what I said to them. I didn’t realize I had an impact. A
kid will tell me I was hard on him, but he now understands
why. I appreciate it and like to run into former students. I
thrive on it, but some of my colleagues don’t.
“I woke up excited this morning,” Ninestine said. “We have
our Fall Sports Awards ceremony tonight and we are playing
soccer against Lincoln Park. We are getting new bleachers.
The track and tennis courts are going to be resurfaced as soon
as it stops raining. I have a lot going on in my mind.”
A teacher popped into the AD’s office to update Ninestine
on a student. “He is not going to school in any division
if he doesn’t fix (grades in) that class,” he told the teacher.
One of the more difficult parts of the AD job is continually
encouraging students with athletic scholarship potential to
earn the grades to get into college, he said. “No 2.0 (grade
point average), no play. That is state law. It is hard to tell
a student he is ineligible because of academics and it is
80
>>
BY GREG GARDNER