By Katherine Rasmussen
For this family, working in education is not just a job; it is a shared passion that reaches across the same school district. While Kayla Holmes serves as the Huntington beach Union High School district’s Public Information Coordinator, her dad, Roger Holmes, serves as the athletic director at Fountain Valley and her brother, Brendan Holmes serves as the head varsity boys basketball coach there as well. Each of them contribute in different ways, helping shape the student experience both on campus and in the community.
In her role, she places a strong emphasis on telling the district’s story through social media and photography.
“There are many pieces that make up this role, but I put a big focus on social media and photography because there is no better way to showcase the amazing things our students, teachers, and staff do every day,” Kayla Holmes said.
By attending events like games, performances and classroom activities, she captures moments that highlight student life and shares them with the community.
“No two days are quite the same, and I love that about my job,” Kayla Holmes said.
A typical day might begin with editing photos from a recent event and posting them online, followed by collaborating with coworkers and district leadership, brainstorming new ideas and attending more events later in the day. This fast-paced environment keeps her constantly engaged with what is happening across the district.
Kayla Holmes’ major priority in her work is making sure students feel included and represented.
“Student voice is so important for the district and schools’ social media,” Kayla Holmes said.
Since high school students are the main audience, she wants them “to feel seen and heard,” whether that means appearing in posts or helping create content. At the same time, she balances this with sharing information that parents and the broader community can appreciate.
While social media may seem simple, she points out that there is much more happening behind the scenes.
“Managing social media is not just ‘going to events and posting,’” Kayla Holmes said. “Being able to connect and build relationships with teachers and staff, as well as our students, helps me do my job so much better.”
Her work is also supported by her coworker in the Public Information department, who mentions how they collaborate daily on content, digital marketing and district communications. Their teamwork plays an important role in keeping everything running smoothly.
The connection to education runs deep in her family, especially on the athletic side. Her dad, Roger Holmes, who has served as the Athletic Director at Fountain Valley since 2018, says that while his years of coaching prepared him for the role, he was still surprised by the level of detail required behind the scenes.
“There is no ‘typical’ day! Every day you need to check emails, team schedules, make sure the officials are assigned and that our athletes are ready to compete,” Roger Holmes said.“After that, each day brings something new. There are school admin meetings, district meetings and CIF meetings that are always on the schedule. The most rewarding part of the job is getting to know the athletes from all of the sports and watching them compete hard and with class.”
Despite the busy schedule, he has been able to witness many memorable moments in FV’s athletics. However, one that stands out above the rest is the 2020 CIF Wrestling Dual Meet Championship, where the team came from far behind to win in the final match. To him, similar experiences highlight the resilience and determination that define Fountain Valley athletes.
That same commitment can be seen in his son, Brendan Holmes, who now serves as the head varsity boys basketball coach. Having grown up around the game, Brendan Holmes understands what it takes to build a strong program. Under his leadership, the team has shown significant progress, including earning 22 wins in the 2025 season — the most for the program in over 20 years. According to his dad, Brendan Holme’s players not only compete hard but also stay focused on their responsibilities off the court and enjoy the process along the way.
Brendan Holmes has had his own experience of greatness in the game of basketball. He used to play for Marina High School as a star player, breaking multiple team records as well as being a nationally ranked player during his time. He was guided by his own father, head coach at the time Roger Holmes. His best season came in 2008, where he led the country in 3-point shots and eventually finished off his high school career in 2010 graduating as Marina’s all-time leading scorer with 2,015 points.
“That season was incredible. It was super fun. We played a style that mirrored Grinnell College in Iowa. We called it the system, and it was where you sub in five guys every 40 seconds to a minute. A lot of guys on our team got to play a lot, and it was super selfless because you had to be willing to let other guys make shots, and you had to go rebound and scream. It was quite an incredible year. We were on TV for Fox Sports West and had cameras at our games sometimes,” Brendan Holmes said.
For Roger Holmes, working in the same building as his son has been a positive experience, with both maintaining a professional dynamic while sharing a passion for the sport. Brendan had already been part of the Fountain Valley program and previously served as a head coach at Ocean View High School before stepping into his current role, making the transition a natural one.
“It has been nothing but positive. [Brendan] has been around the game his whole life and has seen a lot of what goes into having a solid program. His guys play hard, take care of their off-court commitments and really find fun in the process,” Roger Holmes said.
“I have a lot of family members in education,” said Kayla Holmes “I would either film games for my dad or take stats, so in a way, I was doing parts of my current job before I knew it was a career.”
Having grown up locally and attended one of the district’s high schools, she feels a strong connection to the community she now serves.
For the Holmes family, their shared goal is simple: to put students first and create meaningful experiences that last beyond high school. Brendan’s vision for his program reflects this.
“I want teachers on campus and people to know they should be able to tell what a basketball player is on campus with the way that they act and carry themselves.” Roger Holmes said., “Wins and losses may be temporary… the friendships and times together last forever.”
Through the Holmes family’s work in Huntington Beach Union High School District, both on the court and behind the scenes, they continue to leave a lasting impact on the Fountain Valley community.
