Alameda High School boys basketball coach Rex Terry sits in the coaches' office, surrounded by two of his assistants. He just explained the illustrations he put on the board earlier in the day.

He's preparing to implement a new offense for his team, something he hopes will help get them over the 4-5 hump the Pirates faced Jan. 2.

Terry is passionate about basketball. That's what he does.

But he's even more passionate about the kids he coaches, which couldn't have been more evident at practice Jan. 2. On this day, the 55-year-oldTerry was faced with a bigger challenge than teaching a new offense; he also had to tell his players that a former teammate of theirs had passed away the day before.

"He was part of our team. He was our family," Terry tells his players before their 3:30 p.m. practice begins.

Once they're able to get the hard part out of the way, the Pirates' varsity team and their head honcho try to treat this as any other regular day, which for Terry starts bright and early.

Usually arriving at school at 6 a.m., Terry gives himself plenty of time to get prepared for the five classes he teaches, including physical education, social studies, Advanced Placement History, psychology and American history.

"They all know where my room is upstairs, so they'll come in and we sit and talk," Terry said. "Sometimes we don't talk basketball and sometimes we do. A lot of times it's making sure that they get to class."

Getting to class is something Terry has preached to his players for quite some time, having coached for 18 years. He coached the girls' varsity team at Orange Glen High School in San Diego, Calif., for 10 years, and following his stint there, Terry landed at Alameda High, 1255 S. Wadsworth Blvd., in August 2000 and took over the girls' head coaching job, a position he'd hold for the next five years. The lure of college coaching bit Terry in 2006 when he took the reins of the Johnson and Wales University women's team for a year.

"It was opportunity to coach at college level and see what the difference was," he said. "It's an opportunity that doesn't come along very often."

At the high school level, however, Terry says it's the grassroots teaching and ability to help kids grow up that he loves so much.

At the end of this day, much like any other, Terry and his coaches will convene for a few minutes after practice, discuss some things they saw and finally head home. And it's about time; he's just completed a 12-hour day.

Juggling teaching and coaching is fun for Terry, and he doesn't see an end in sight any time soon.