Long-time food service worker is critical to students’ daily routine

DOES IT ALL Continued from page 5 “He was very approachable as a teacher and knew a lot about the topics that he taught,” Rose said. “He was somebody you could always go and talk to, whether it was about school related stu or not. It was a fun and welcoming setting to be a part of. You could always have fun and joke around with him, but also have a serious conversation.” Coach Marcussen works to make an impact, not just as teacher, but as a coach. e educator has coached just about every sport he knows, including cross county, football, boys and girls basketball, trap shooting, and volleyball in South Dakota. Over the years, he’s had teams and athletes qualify for state, along with subsection and conference victories. He was the rst Le Sueur-Henderson boys basketball coach to net the program a conference championship. While on the court, Marcussen says that he has an opportunity to be a little looser with his students than in the classroom. “e relationships I have with the kids are a little more personal, I let my hair down a little bit more,” said Marcussen. “I’ve been around coaches that are very strict, just as strict as they are in the classroom, and not that I didn’t learn anything from those coaches, but it’s good for kids to see a dierent side of you.” He added, “I’m a 55 year old fat guy playing basketball, so if i hit a 3 on you, I’m trash talking all the way down the oor. And that’s what I was doing when I was 25, and that’s what I’m doing when I’m 55. My wife says I have to grow up some day, but I haven’t gured that out yet.” One thing that made Marcussen an eective coach for Rose was his willingness to put his trust in students. “He relied on the students and the players and gave them a lot of trust,” said Rose. “I was fortunate enough to be one of the captains, and he gave a lot of responsibility and trust to the captains. It was just unique how he communicates eectively and leads by example.” Teaching kids to learn and take responsibility is a central through-line between Marcussen’s coaching and teaching career. When he’s teaching personal nance, he challenges kids to manage their own budget. When he’s coaching, he challenges kids to be leaders and to accept and learn from failure. “When you’re on my team, and Don Marcussen serves as a teacher, coach and mentor for the students of Le Sueur-Henderson, emphasizing practical, everyday lessons and personal responsibility. (Carson Hughes/ Le Sueur County News)

Don Marcussen has hosts a Coaches vs. Cancer event for Le Sueur-Henderson. (Le Sueur County News)

you’re coming o of a loss, I want you to understand why you lost,” said Marcussen. “Don’t look for excuses, look for reasons to improve on. at’s still dicult for some kids. When they’ve lost, and you ask them how a game went, and the rst thing that comes out of their mouth is ‘Bad ociating,’ or ‘So-and-so didn’t do a very good job.’ e negative part of it comes out so fast. For Marcussen, everything is a teachable moment: “When a kid says ‘We didn’t play very well or I didn’t do a very good job,’ they get a little understanding that they themselves are not perfect and are willing to take that responsibility.”

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