Barnes is the Lake Stevens wrestling coach, but don’t let his tough demeanor fool you. Sitting down with Barnes, he talked about his life, and what makes him most happy.

Barnes’ journey didn’t start out easy. “[I was] a pretty rough kid. I struggled mightily in school. I was gone a lot and I didn’t like being in a classroom. I felt caged up and really struggled with just some basic things, taking care of my homework,” said Barnes.

But he found his saving grace in sports, and was able to find something to “hang his hat” on through his ride in high school.

“I think that’s why it’s really important for kids to latch onto something while they’re here at school… the thing now and days is that everything gets gobbled up by the kids who have their crap together. There’s kids that do everything and I think about a kid like Chris Pratt who did everything: he was an athlete, he was in drama, he gobbled up a lot of spots because he was talented. I always tell kids who are struggling that they need to find a niche, somewhere or somebody, an adult that they can relate to, some authority figure that they can latch onto. I think it’s really important,” said Barnes.

And Barnes represents that role model for many students looking for encouragement and acceptance at Lake Stevens High School.

His own journey through high school made him able to relate and have a bigger heart for his students and athletes.

“I was a dumb high school kid. I can relate to all the dumb high school kids I have in class and it is why I became a teacher because along the way I had a lot of people help me and my parents were teachers too so that had a big part in it but… yeah I had some special people in my life like my junior college wrestling coach. He really helped me get my act together.”

Barnes’ coaching style and passion for his athletes are what makes them state champions every year. His outlook on life and what he values most shows how serious he takes his job and the love he pours into everything and everyone.

“This life can be short and you better make the most of it The relationships over time that you create with your athletes is the biggest part, the part that you take with you, not the wins and losses and the banners and the trophies, you know, you can’t take that with you. What you take with you is the experiences and the relationships that you have built with the people along the way, that’s the special part of coaching,” said Barnes.

Image courtesy of Lake Stevens Wrestling Facebook page

He wouldn’t trade where he is for anything.

Barnes passion and dedication to his students and athletes is clearly visible. He impacts students every day and gives them a fresh perspective about what truly matters in life, working hard to accomplish goals and building relationships along the way.

“Keep plugging away and don’t limit yourself. A lot of things change after high school, and it’s easy to get pigeon holed. I remember my high school counselor telling me when I told them I wanted to go to college and they laughed at me because I definitely wasn’t a college student when I was in high school. But what you are in high school is not necessarily what you’re going to be later on in life. It’s ok to dream big dreams, but you have to do the work to make those dreams happen,” said Barnes.