Resource officer using love for sports to connect with Aurora Central High School students
Editor's note: This story was first published in April. This week it was featured in the CBS News Colorado special "Your Reporter: Covering Colorado First 2023."
Aurora police officer Egide Ndagije is new to golf, but you wouldn't know it by the way he drives. Maybe it's because he's just an all-around athlete, ever since his days at Aurora Central High School.
"I played sports there. Was in football, wrestling and track," Ndagije said.
After graduation he became a police officer so he could give back to his community, starting with his alma mater. For six months he has been a school resource officer at Central.
One day he was talking with members of the girls' golf team about sports when they extended him an intriguing invitation.
"They asked me if I want to coach them," he said.
Egide had hardly ever played golf, but as is the case with all his students, he wanted to mentor these young women. So, he decided to pay them a visit one afternoon.
"I came to one practice and I enjoyed it, and I asked the head coach if I can assist and help them," Ndagije expressed.
His lack of experience didn't hold him back.
"I'm going to figure this out," he said. "I talked to the head coach I'm like, 'Hey, just let you know I'm going into this, but I don't know how to play golf.'"
The head coach of the team is teaching him before practice and he then passes on what he learns to his students on the team. It's a way to connect with them and help them, which is his ultimate goal.
"We just talk about other stuff their future what they want to do in the future and just try to connect with him," Ndagije said.
Soon some of them will be graduating and moving on, and while he says it's sad, he hopes they will take what they learned on the course and use it to succeed in life.
He will probably still be on the course or anywhere a sport is being taught, so he can connect with his students on a deeper level through his love of sports.
As for golf, Egide says he thinks this is just the beginning for him.
"Now, I'm still young, but once I retire, I feel like this is going to be my sport," Ndagije said.
