Courtesy of Lisa Ginestet-Araki
Coach Lisa Ginestet-Araki watches girls’ JV basketball play at home.Math teacher Lisa Ginestet-Araki shares many of the same experiences at the school as her students.
As a Class of ‘07 alumna, she learned in many of the same classrooms and even had some of the same teachers. Before coaching girls’ basketball, Ginestet Araki was a shooting guard on the varsity team from 2004 to 2007.
“I had a lot of fun playing in high school,” she said. “Sometimes we won, sometimes we lost, but it was definitely a highlight of my high school experience.”
Even now, Ginestet-Araki continues her love for the sport in her role as an assistant coach for the girls’ basketball team. She also still plays the sport recreationally with other faculty in school events such as March Madness and in pickup games that are sometimes played before classes or at lunch on Fridays.
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Prior to teaching here, she also taught math at James Logan High for six years and served as assistant coach for their girls’ basketball team. Two years ago, Ginestet-Araki returned to SHS to teach math and was encouraged by campus supervisor Archie Ljepava to apply for the JV coach position. She hesitated because of her role as a mother and full-time teacher but eventually took the position.
Her coaching goal is always to ensure that players are having fun and that it’s a positive experience for everyone.
Senior Anjali Sahni, who has Ginestet-Araki as both her math teacher and basketball coach, said having Ginestet-Araki in both roles has helped her enjoy math more; in both the gym and the classroom, she appreciates Ginestet-Araki’s positivity.
“I’ve learned to respect my teachers,” Sahni said. “I can have conversations with her during class and make a deeper connection with my teacher.”
Ginestet-Araki’s biggest takeaway from coaching is remembering that students aren’t just in a classroom.
“It’s nice to see students in a different environment and they’re dynamic and have a side to them that we don’t know about as teachers,” Ginestet-Araki said. “It’s just cool to see them have their whole lives outside of school.”
