As a coach and physical education teacher, Terri Bamford has taken on the task of helping to mold our students and athletes into future leaders. She is committed to assisting her athletes in becoming responsible, productive, and successful individuals. Coach Bamford provides endless support to LJCDS students and seeks to teach the importance of leadership, teamwork, character, and commitment both in the classroom and on the basketball court.  

 

During her time at LJCDS, Coach Bamford’s teams have won 21 league titles, 15 San Diego Section CIF titles, nine Southern Regional Championship titles and four State Championship titles. She has nurtured two USA Olympians, six CIF San Diego Section Players of the Year, and five McDonald’s All-Americans: Breya Cunningham and Jada Williams (2023); Te-Hina Paopao (2020); Kelsey Plum (2013); and Candice Wiggins (2004).

 

In December 2024, Coach Bamford was named the CIF San Diego Section’s all-time wins leader in girls’ basketball, breaking a 35-year record and placing her No. 8 all-time in the state. Other accolades include being inducted into the Breitbard Hall of Fame at the San Diego Sports Association (2024); Southern California Basketball Hall of Fame (2023); Women’s Basketball Coaches Association High School National Coach of the Year (2020); and ESPNHS Cal-Hi Sports Girls State Coach of the Year (2012 and 2001).

 

Prior to her arrival at LJCDS, Coach Bamford served as head coach of the San Pasqual High School girl’s basketball team. She led Mira Costa College to two undefeated Pacific Coast titles, and in 1994, she led Palomar College to its first Pacific Coast Conference title.  

 

Coach Bamford’s son Frankie ’12 is an LJCDS lifer.

Briana “Brie” Benson joined the LJCDS team in 2021 as a physical education educator and women’s head soccer coach. As a PE teacher, Ms. Benson sees her role as developing an environment where students love to move, work hard, learn, and especially, have fun. As a coach, she looks to ignite and instill healthy mind–healthy body habits that lead to a life full of happiness through sports.  

Ms. Benson played on the women’s soccer team at Chapman University, where she remains one of the all-time leading scorers. She earned her degree in liberal studies with an emphasis in science followed by a teaching credential, a Master of Education and an International Baccalaureate certification. This took her abroad to teach in Chile, Peru, Thailand and South Korea, where she was part of the founding faculty of Chadwick International School. Ms. Benson is fluent in Spanish. In South Korea, she taught fifth grade, started and coached the women’s soccer program, and created after-school soccer programs for elementary and middle school students. After South Korea, Ms. Benson taught second grade and coached the women’s soccer team at Chadwick School in her hometown, Palos Verdes.      
                                          

Ms. Benson became a mother in 2020 and loves spending family time at the beach, surfing, hiking and showing her son, Moss, the beauty of nature.

 

 

Jean Ah Lee is an Upper School mathematics teacher and surf coach. She believes that our study of math isn’t just about learning content. It’s also about the problem-solving and analytical skills we develop through math that can be applied to any field, career, or life situation. 

Ms. Lee was inspired to become an educator by her father, an electrical engineering professor, and her mother, an example of a lifelong learner. Ms. Lee encourages her students to maintain confidence and a positive attitude when faced with a challenge or an undesirable outcome. Life isn’t always fun and easy, and neither is math.

Ms. Lee earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from MIT and worked as an electrical engineer at Bose Corporation. She subsequently earned a Master of Education from Harvard University and began her teaching career. Before LJCDS, Ms. Lee taught mathematics in New York City, Guatemala City and San Diego. In addition, Ms. Lee enjoys surfing and yoga and loves to travel.

“I inspire greatness through my passion for sports medicine and helping others. I accomplish this by integrating the most current research with personalized care in order to optimize patient outcomes and keep athletes at their highest performance levels, both on the court and throughout the community.”

Christine Mitchell is committed to helping students do more than overcome their injuries by working to improve their functional movement so they can succeed as athletes and improve their joint health.

Here at La Jolla Country Day School, Ms. Mitchell started a student athletic training program in order to share her love of sports medicine. She hopes to inspire students to pursue careers in the medical field. At the very least, students will learn about their bodies and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, and how to perform CPR and use an AED.

As LJCDS’s certified athletic trainer, Ms. Mitchell ensures the safety, well being and success of all Torrey athletes, whether it’s caring for abrasions, rehabilitating reconstructed ACLs, educating on concussions, developing injury-prevention plans, or implementing emergency action plans.

Ms. Mitchell obtained a Bachelor of Science in athletic training from the University of South Carolina and a Master of Science in exercise physiology from Boston University. She has worked with South Carolina’s football and basketball teams, Boston University’s field hockey team, the New England Revolution’s academy soccer teams and San Diego State’s women’s soccer team. In her spare time, she teaches injury prevention at the San Diego Circus Center, where she is also learning to hand-balance.

After exploring the East Coast, Ms. Mitchell returned to Escondido, where she resides with her chihuahua, Charlie.

 

 

“I inspire greatness for a better world by creating an environment that allows each student to find their true potential physically, emotionally and intellectually. Being a teacher and coach for the past 40 years, I have experienced the greatest sense of community at La Jolla Country Day School. There is no other institution that provides a young person with all the tools necessary to go out into the world to make it a better place.”

Kevin Reaume has been teaching and coaching for 40 years and began coaching full-time at LJCDS in 1990. As LJCDS’s physical education educator, athletic performance director, full-time football coach and head men’s and women’s track and field coach, Coach Reaume is the most successful track and field coach in LJCDS history, with a combined men’s and women’s dual meet record of 282-75, with 19 team championships. Throughout the years Coach Reaume has produced eight individual Division 2 CIF champions, seven California state qualifiers and 19 Torrey student-athletes continuing their growth at the likes of Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Middlebury and Emory.

Coach Reaume was instrumental in all 12 of LJCDS’s football championships (four of which were CIF Championships), including the school’s first-ever 11-man CIF title as well as three 8-man titles. He has worn many hats for the Torrey football program, including defensive coordinator, offensive and defensive lines, and athletic performance director.

Coach Reaume grew up in Canada, where he was a standout football, basketball, and track and field athlete. He played football at St. Francis Xavier University, earning a Bachelor of Science in physical education, two-time first-team All-League honors, preseason All-Canadian and three conference championships. He was also the captain of his team for two years. After graduation, Kevin was drafted by the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League, opting instead to pursue a career in teaching and coaching.

Chris Uyeda has a deep love for the following: science, teaching, the ocean, his family, and the greatest show ever made, Seinfeld. Somehow he has found a way to turn the first three into a profession.

Mr. Uyeda joined the La Jolla Country Day School faculty in 2010 and has taught biology, chemistry, marine science and biotechnology.  His job is to help students understand that science is a process, not a body of knowledge, and what it means to think like a scientist. Primarily, though, his role is to give young people his attention.

A career educator, Mr. Uyeda has also taught at High Tech High, Florida Keys Community College, Sea|mester, Adventures Cross Country and the Catalina Island Marine Institute. 

He earned his degrees from Stanford and the University of Miami and was a NOAA Knauss Fellow for Marine Policy in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Uyeda is a PADI Open Water SCUBA instructor and wilderness first responder and holds an IYT Master of Yachts 200-ton license.