Tinsley and Kevin Ray are excited to move to Rome this summer and become active members of the Darlington Community. Tinsley will serve as the new pre-K teacher, while Kevin will be assistant director of Darlington School Soccer Academy and head girls’ coach.
“The campus is beautiful and everyone is so friendly,” said Kevin, who will travel to Nashville, Tenn., with the girls’ team for their final tournament of the season. “There is a sense of family that is contagious throughout the grounds. Getting to work at the same school as my wife – and one which our 8-year-old daughter, Addie, will also attend as a third-grader – is a huge plus.”
Tinsley holds a B.S. in Mass Communication from the University of Montevallo and an Alabama Professional Educator Certificate in Elementary Education from Huntingdon College.
“Tinsley’s enthusiasm, experience and passion for educating young people make her a great addition to our Lower School team,” said James Hutchins, incoming director of Darlington’s PK-8 program. “Her current school, Bear Exploration Center, is a mathematics, science and technology magnet school that is ranked eighth in the state of Alabama out of 691 public schools. That is a testament to great teaching.”
Tinsley said she knew from an early age that she was destined to be a teacher. “Actually, it was in Mrs. Minter’s class when she asked me to dust her erasers,” she recalled. “When I popped those erasers together, it was like a dream that manifested itself in my heart, and it wouldn’t stop until I became who God called me to be – a teacher. Teaching is my passion and it is my hope that each child I have the pleasure of teaching will find his or her own passion and live it to the fullest. To me, success in the classroom isn’t determined by how many children love you, but by how much they love learning what you have to teach. Learning is contagious when taught with vigor and every child should experience enthusiasm during the early years ofeducation.”
She has taught at Bear Exploration Center in Montgomery, Ala., for the past three years.
“Bear Exploration Center has a strong sense of community and parental involvement, and I am excited that Darlington has those same qualities,” Tinsley said. “Nothing beats a friendly face with a genuine ‘hello’ from everyone you meet. I am also excited about the art classes, the Science Lab, Spanish, music … All the opportunity that is being given at Darlington is a gift, and I pray that I will be able to deliver it in just the right way. I can’t wait to immerse myself in enriching and exciting elementary education. Pre-K, here I come!”
This year, Tinsley taught fourth grade, but she also has two years of experience in a first-grade classroom and as a long-term substitute in kindergarten.
“I can’t wait to see those little faces come through the pre-K door every morning, knowing that what they MUST tell me is the most important thought they will ever share, to see the smiles when that ‘ah-ha’ moment has kissed the brain, and to know that all is right with the world when we say our good-byes until tomorrow,” she said. “I love the fact that [in teaching] every day is different and every child is different. I believe that each child has the ability to learn, and while it may not be at the same time, the same way, or at the same pace as other children, learning can, will and does occur.”
And while Tinsley will spend most of her time on the Lower School campus, her husband, Kevin, is looking forward to his work with Upper School students who are enrolled in the Soccer Academy.
“Darlington School Soccer Academy is run like a professional academy, just like back home in England,” said Kevin, who moved to the United States in 1997 to attend college. “I am very excited to be working with the girls. Girls’ soccer in the USA is huge and Darlington's program is very competitive. I hope to build on the hard work that has already been put into the program and to instill in each young lady the core values that make a strong player both on and off the field.”
In England, Kevin was a youth/reserve professional at Fulham Football Club and Queens Park Rangers Football Club. After graduating from the University of Montevallo with a B.S. in Kinesiology, he played two years in the Professional Development League with the Louisiana Outlaws and the Palm Beach Pumas.
“I knew there would come a time when my playing career would come to an end and coaching would be a way to stay in the game,” said Kevin, who has 13 years of coaching experience under his belt. “While playing for Fulham FC as a 17-year-old, I had the chance to take my first coaching license, the FA English Preliminary Coaching Badge. My two biggest influences are John Yems, who was my coach at Fulham FC, and Rob King, my coach at the University of Montevallo. They made the game enjoyable and so I wanted to follow in their footsteps.”
Most recently, Kevin served as the assistant men’s soccer coach at Auburn University – Montgomery. Previously, he coached at Huntingdon College and for the Panama City Pirates, the Eclipse Soccer Club (a Nike Premier Club in Houston, Texas), the New Territory Fusion Soccer Club and Troy University’s NCAA Division I Women’s Program. He has also been involved in the Alabama Youth Soccer Association for nine years as a head coach for the Olympic Development Program.
“I love the fact that you can go anywhere in the world and everyone knows the game of soccer,” he said. “People have so much pride in the team they support that their winning or losing can make or break the day! I have taken so much out of the game of soccer, so I really enjoy giving back what I have learned to the younger generation.”
Soccer Academy Director Chad Liddle said he is thrilled that Kevin will be joining his staff, and he looks forward to introducing him to the girls and their families on the trip to Nashville. “Kevin’s coaching experience and passion for the game made him the ideal choice,” Liddle said. “I am excited about working with him, and I have no doubt that he will take our girls’ program to the next level.”
