DDCUS has seen an all-time high with its baseball team. At the backbone of the team’s success is Head Coach Bravo. He arrived at DDCUS last year as a baseball assistant coach and geometry teacher. This year, he teaches 7th-grade mathematics and Algebra 2.

What do you like to do outside of school?

I like to go to the gym and I play slow-pitch softball instead of baseball since I’m older. I love to hang out at the beach and take my dog to the dog park, too.

How did you get started in coaching?

I went to college in Mississippi Valley and from there, I played baseball for my four years of college. After that, I did a couple of classes as a graduate assistant, and I coached two years of college baseball. That helped me get more prepared for high school-level coaching. Once I moved to Miami from Mississippi, I got a job as an assistant coach last year, and this year I got the amazing opportunity to be the head coach. I’ve loved every minute of it. It’s been an amazing ride so far.

What has been the best part about connecting with students on an athletic level?

Seeing their improvement from day to day. A lot of the students came in struggling in certain aspects of baseball, like fielding or pitching. At the end of the year, you can tell how much they’ve improved and how much more comfortable they feel. After all the practices they always come up to me and say goodbye and I think I’ve been able to connect with them a lot more.

How do you feel about the seniors leaving?

It’s always tough at the end of the year, no matter if you are head or assistant coach. We want to make sure we get them in the right colleges. Now that the season is over, that’s what we’re focusing on. Our last game was very emotional for us and for them. I feel like they’ve had a big impact on the program so far. They’ve given us their best effort and have set the stage for how hard the players must work next year. It was a great year for them.