We loved having Parkway School District students and teachers at a school matinee performance of Ghost! Here they are with Moyenda Anwisye (back row left) who is a Parkway District Counselor & Parkway North High track coach. We asked Moyenda about the show and coaching.

What did you find memorable about Ghost?

Through my lens as a counselor, I found the personal and familial struggles that haunted Ghost rather intriguing. Many times, regardless of the situation, our intrapersonal growth is thwarted by our attempts to run away from our pain—rather than to heal from it. So, I find the quote used in the play, "I can't run from who I am, but I can run towards who I want to be," to be quite gripping.

As a coach, how do you see youth changed by running track?

I don't know how many young people's lives have been changed by running track. While there are some very important lessons one can learn simply through the difficult training of track and field, that alone is insufficient for personal transformation.

Water takes the shape of the vessel it is in. The right mixture of parental/familial support, positive teammates, and coaches who care more about transformation than simply the win at the end of the day may encourage that growth. I am so humbled by our students who have made the decision to do the work in order to become spiritually, psychologically, and emotionally stronger people. Many times the alumni of our program come back during spring break to reconnect with the school and their teammates - sometimes offering a word or two of advice.

If we do our job as coaches, we should always seek ways to support the growth and maturity of the whole person—not simply the athlete.

About Moyenda Anwisye

Moyenda Anwisye is a District Level Counselor in the Parkway School District. In this role, he collaborates with young people, their families and fellow educators with the mission of helping the young people grow and develop their God-given potential. He also accomplishes this role as an independent licensed professional counselor (LPC) in private practice, serving young people and their families in the community.  He also has been a recurring guest speaker for Education Plus,  the Saint Louis Area Council on Restorative Justice and other institutions and organizations. Moyenda also serves as the head coach for the Parkway North Boys' Cross Country team and Girls' Track and Field team. Moyenda and his wife have been married for 18 years and have five children.