For Perry Hall High School's head football coach, bringing kids together and watching students grow into young adults are the best parts of the job.
Keith Robinson's day starts early as he makes his way from his home in Harford County to Perry Hall High School where he teaches physical education.
He spends the day teaching a full coarse load and when the final bell rings, hits the field to to lead practice for the Gators.
"Without a doubt the favorite part of my job is what I get to do after school coaching football," Robinson said.
PHOTOS: A day in the life of a Perry Hall High School football coach
Twenty years ago, Robinson moved from New York to Baltimore. A friend of his was teaching and coaching football at Patterson High School at the time and offered him an opportunity there.
"I was certified to teach, I knew I wanted to coach, and it just worked out that way. They had a job opening and I was fortunate enough to coach under one of the legends in Maryland, a gentleman by the name of Roger Wren," Robinson said.
Wren is a Maryland High School Football Hall-of-Fame coach and one of Robinson's mentors. From there, Robinson went on to teach and coach football at Overlea High School and for the past eight years has been at Perry Hall.
Since he's been coaching the Gators, the team has qualified for the state playoffs every year but one.
"The best part about coaching football I think is we bring in so many kids together from different backgrounds and kind of come together with a common purpose and a common goal," Robinson said. "Everybody is on one team and they're all brothers."
He said it's also a joy to watch the kids mature from the first time they go into the weight room as wide-eyed freshmen until the time they leave school as young men, many of them bound for college.
"That's pretty rewarding, to see how they develop and grow up over the four years," Robinson said.
This year, it's a mix of returning players, new additions from the junior varsity team, and a few solid transfers who make up the Gators varsity team.
"We're excited and optimistic about the season," Robinson said.
