When you’re in class, you can forget that your teachers were once students too! But what were they like? Were they different? Did they plan for the future they’re living in now? What happened in their life that made them become who they are today? What if they were actually a bad student?  Mr. Sporkmann, a Health/PE and Drivers Education instructor, was asked a variety of questions related to his years in high school, and he had a lot to tell. To begin, he considered himself pretty lanky compared to the other kids back then, being around 6’4 and 160 pounds. He thought he was awkward, but it didn’t stop him from playing sports and getting involved with his school, where he started to really develop his athleticism, joining the basketball team and swim team. His inspiration throughout his time on the team was his basketball coach, who shaped him into who he is today.  The coach was very hard on him, out of tough love. On the team, he’d be held accountable for everything he did, which impacted him heavily, as he learned lessons from his experiences that would be used for the rest of his life.

Academically, he shared an affinity with mathematics and anything physical education. His weaker subjects involved his grasp of foreign languages, which was weaker compared to his strengths. All around, he was a C-level student in high school, which led him to be lost for multiple years on what he would specialize in for the rest of his life.

It took him getting to college to finally realize his strengths, and from there, he’d set his sights on physical education. With his path set, he’d move on to learning how to train, then he’d become a physical trainer and train other people. His ultimate goal was to become a D1 coach for strength and conditioning. He even had his own business for 10 years, where he’d train people to become stronger. After a fulfilling number of years, he finally settled down in Manassas, where he became a physical education teacher for the youth.

Mr. Sporkmann’s advice for anyone struggling with high school is as follows: “Embrace who you are at the moment, take risks, and learn and understand your classes. Visit and talk to your teachers often. It’ll help your grades. And know that in 5-10 years, everything you’re worried about now, you won’t be worried about in the slightest.”