~ Central Wisconsin – Difference makers in sports are all around us. Getting to know coaches, athletic directors, and key figures in amateur sports helps us learn about the individuals shaping athletics and making a difference in schools. Area athletes have been under the microscope with the world-famous interview ‘Pancakes or Waffles?’ and now it’s time to add a different lens to sports in central Wisconsin.
With our OnFocus ‘Baked or Fried?’ interview, we take a look at difference makers in central Wisconsin.
Today’s look is a peek inside Mosinee Head Volleyball Coach Justin Jacobs. Learn more about Jacobs with our soon to be famous interview: ‘Baked or Fried?’
OnFocus: What sports did you play in high school?
Jacobs: Basketball was my favorite sport, but I also played some football and track.
OnFocus: How have you been involved in sports in your adult life?
Jacobs: Nowadays I play a lot of golf. #TRT
OnFocus: What do you enjoy about your involvement in athletics?
Jacobs: I love the competitions. It gives everyone a chance to see the hard work the players put in and I love seeing them have the success that they have earned.
OnFocus: If there could only be one concession food in the world, what would you want it to be?
Jacobs: GOOD Popcorn. Some of these concession stands should be embarrassed by the popcorn they put out.
OnFocus: What would you do with the money if you won 10 millions dollars in the lottery?
Jacobs: The first thing I’d do is buy my wife a new ride. She deserves it for letting me devote so much time to coaching. Then I’d like to do some traveling with the family and buy myself a new boat.
OnFocus: Is there something most people don’t know about you?
Jacobs: I won a coloring contest when I was 6. My pink Easter Bunny won me a Slip N Slide.
OnFocus: What job did you want when you were growing up?
Jacobs: I had no idea. Probably why I wasn’t a very good student.
OnFocus: What do you most enjoy watching on television?
Jacobs: Live sports or comedies like Letterkenny.
OnFocus: How do amateur sports benefit students, parents, and the community?
Jacobs: There are so many opportunities in sports to learn life lessons that will last forever. It also builds a strong sense of belonging when the students see how the community is backing them.
OnFocus: Who was an influential coach that has made a difference in your life?
Jacobs: Chris Heller. He was my freshman basketball coach but he was also the one who got me started in coaching and ultimately led to me getting my teaching degree. I learned a lot coaching with him in the beginning and it’s a lot of fun coaching against him now.
OnFocus: How do you unwind and enjoy your free time?
Jacobs: I love taking the boat out. We go out almost every day in the summer to hit the sandbar, cruise the river, or do some fishing.
OnFocus: What would be an appropriate Super Hero nickname for you, and what would your powers be?
Jacobs: I would have to go with Big J and my super power is getting things off the top shelf.
OnFocus: Who are your favorite athletes?
Jacobs: Elle Jacobs, Nate Jacobs, Owen Jacobs, and Mireia Dañobeitia.
OnFocus: Who is your role model(s)?
Jacobs: My Dad and my Father-in-Law Pat. They both have really strong work ethics and would do anything for their families.
OnFocus: Baked or Fried? If you could pick only one, which would it be?
Jacobs: Fried for just about everything but seafood.
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
