About Me
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Jerry Gaines is an inspirational educator and author whose career began in 1972 at Western Branch High School in Chesapeake, Virginia. For twenty-one years, he taught and coached students before serving another fifteen years as a high school assistant principal—three at the Chesapeake Center for Science and Technology and twelve at Great Bridge High School. He completed the final three years of his education career as a Central Office Supervisor.
Dr. Gaines’s notable achievements include being named Teacher of the Year for Chesapeake Public Schools and Coach of the Year by the Portsmouth Sports Club. He has also been inducted into the Hampton Roads African American Sports Hall of Fame and the Chesapeake Sports Club Hall of Legends.
Dr. Gaines was the first Black athlete to earn a full athletic scholarship to Virginia Tech, where he still holds two track and field records. He was also the first Black athlete inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame. In 2023, Virginia Tech further honored his legacy by dedicating the Director of Track and Field Office in his name.
Following college, near the end of the Vietnam War, Dr. Gaines served his country honorably as an officer in the United States Army.
Throughout his career as an educator, Dr. Gaines used his love of fishing to connect with and mentor young people. Many of the relationships formed through those experiences have lasted for more than fifty years. To this day, he takes great joy in spending time with former students, learning what is happening in their lives, and developing new relationships with their families.
After retiring from education, Dr. Gaines traveled throughout the country as a motivational speaker and coach, sharing a profound message he says “a million kids taught him.” His work reflects a lifelong commitment to personal growth and mentorship, along with his belief that every human being has immeasurable value.
BIOGRAPHY (con't)
As a tribute to the many lives he has touched, Dr. Gaines published 40 Stories High in 2011. This collection of short stories recounts some of his most meaningful experiences teaching, coaching, and mentoring.
In his second book, Before I Knew Me, You Gave Me a Mirror, published in 2025, Dr. Gaines shares inspirational thoughts and insights drawn from nearly eight decades of living, learning, building relationships, and helping others recognize their own value.
Today, Dr. Gaines generally keeps his speaking engagements within a short drive of his home. He still gets out his fishing rods as often as possible, frequently accompanied by former students who simply need a little “Gaines Time.” His grandchildren are his greatest joy, and he delights in being an active part of their lives.
MY WRITING ROOTS
Most young children have lively imaginations. I was no exception. The fact that I often played alone only enhanced that trait in me. For fear of being called "weird," I rarely shared any of the thoughts that coursed regularly through my mind. It was not until high school, after completing an assignment in a Creative Writing class (a short story) that I realized I was not weird at all. The teacher, known to be strict, was very impressed by what I had written. Her hearty approval helped give me the confidence to start writing down all those weird thoughts that regularly found their way into my mind. Today, I simply share those thoughts with anyone interested in reading about them.
MY STYLE
My conversational writing style invites readers to examine themselves in order to discover their own unique set of strengths and weaknesses, and thereby, find the fulfillment that they seek.
My writings mirror aspects of what I believe is the most important aspect of life -- relationships. While relationships can bring terrible strife, turmoil and suffering, they can also be the source of satisfaction through boundless purpose, significance, and joy -- treasures that are locked away in the chests (lives) of each individual, and revealed in the memories created through each day's encounters. Relationships make life worth living, and as many authors will attest, are certainly worth writing about.