Steve Irwin and Gary Hughes are educators who do more than teach and coach. They can often be found behind the wheel, driving teams to games, meets and tournaments.
Irwin, connections teacher at Oglethorpe County Middle School, holds a commercial driver’s license (CDL) and ensures athletes get where they need to be.
Irwin, who’s been teaching for 15 years, said his role as a bus driver came out of necessity.
“As you deal with Oglethorpe County, most of our coaches, especially head coaches, are also bus drivers,” Irwin said. “Sometimes the administration, as they hire positions, they kind of require us to do that.”
It’s not uncommon in the district.
“Our budgets (for paying bus drivers) are not high enough to be able to employ extra people to be able to run just extracurriculars,” said Zach Holtzclaw, Oglethorpe County’s director of transportation.
“I transport for all our teams,” Irwin said.
Irwin’s dedication isn't an isolated case.
Hughes, like Irwin, drives the bus for athletes, ensuring that logistical challenges don’t hinder teams.
Although Hughes, a coach at Oglethorpe County High School, doesn’t have a CDL, he’s certified to drive the activity bus for the OCHS golf teams.
“(Licensing to drive the activity bus) was very similar to the CDL, except the number of hours that you have to drive behind and ride with someone are not as strict as CDL,” Hughes said.
He pursued his certification because bus drivers weren’t available at the departure times for golf tournaments.
"I submitted my schedule to our transportation department, and it was one of those deals where they were like, we can't offer you a bus to leave early,” Hughes said. “So it was a no-brainer decision. Just get that (license to drive the activity bus), then we can drive and leave whenever we want.”