Being named Educator of the Year is an extremely prestigious honor that is given only to an educator who goes above and beyond. Educator Brian McArdle is well deserving of this honor. Coach McArdle, often referred to as, “Mac”, has greatly impacted my life and my teammates’  lives as well. Coach Mac is head coach at the Delaware Military Academy, and also an excellent teacher at the Meadowood School. Coach Mac teaches his students and players the importance of being a good person and making academics a main priority. He displays great moral values which are often passed to those he teaches. Coach McArdle is the perfect example of an incredible teacher and human being. 

Coach Mac has many talents, and one of them is his incredible ability to motivate and teach people. Coach McArdle is able to get our football team extremely hype before all our games. Every game Coach Mac finds a new way to get us ready to play. In the pregame, he will use chanting and clapping in order to put us in the correct mindset. Before joining the great football program at DMA, I couldn’t stand running at the end of practice, but with Coach Mac, it somehow is inspiring, and you feel inclined to give it all of your effort. He is an excellent educator and he knows nearly everything about football. There have been many occasions where I’ve been completely out of place or confused, and thanks to Coach, I was able to adjust and be as prepared as possible going into a game. This past season I learned many things that have helped me become a better athlete. Coach Mac taught me and others the very simple, yet complicated DMA football playbook. He also taught me the importance of sportsmanship and how to be a better teammate. Without Brian McArdle, I’d be half the football player I am today and probably still dread the end of practice sprints. 

One could go on and on about how great of a role model Coach McArdle is. Coach displays many great personality traits, most notably how he is kind, outgoing, and extremely generous. An important part about being a successful educator is earning the admiration and respect of your pupils.  Coach McArdle earned that from me the first time I met him. He is extremely kind and always leaves you with a smile on your face. This is an ability few people have, and I think his kindness should be noted. Also, he is super outgoing and loves to converse with his students. Coach McArdle is very generous as he dedicates all of his time to his students at Meadowood and the DMA football program. He puts in countless hours and gives up precious personal time in order to help out others. That is truly selfless and remarkable. The man was even able to arrange for our entire team to visit the USAF Thunderbirds privately and also watch their annual show in Atlantic City, NJ. One of the DMA Seahawks varsity captains is none other than one of coach’s students at Meadowood, David. David is included in the football program even though he is unable to play. Coach Mac’s infectious personality and giving nature are just some of the many reasons why he should be this year’s Educator of the Year. 

Football is more than just a game. There’s a lot more to football than just winning and losing. Coach McArdle showed me this year how to be a better human being on and off the field. Anyone who knows Coach at all, is well aware of his love for the game. It is evident that he loves football and loves to win. But aside from his competitive nature, Coach just wants the team to have fun and become better at everything we do. Coach Mac emphasizes excellence in academics. He stresses how important school is, and he helps players with anything they need in order to be a better Cadet in the classroom. Coach instills the military structure that the Academy provides in our football program which makes us the most disciplined and prepared team on the field whether we win or lose. Sportsmanship is something that Coach makes sure the team displays because at the end of the day, we are all Americans and good people who should be treated as so. Coach Mac runs a very tight and strict football program that does not accept bad behavior and poor grades. At the same time, Coach finds ways to reward us like taking us on team bonding trips to places like Atlantic City. Throughout this nomination, I have been talking about how great coach is. I have only been with him for one season, but he is a mentor who I’m hoping to remain close with for the rest of my life. He has touched my life and guided me towards a brighter future. 

Educator Brian McArdle deserves this distinguishment more than anyone I know, that’s why I nominated him to this honor. Coach McArdle gives so much to others and asks for very little in return. He is an excellent football coach and a great mentor. Although, he is only my football coach… word spreads of the amazing teaching Coach does at the Meadowood School. Each and everyday he is working with students like David and better preparing them for life. I could go on and on about how great of an educator Brian McArdle is. But it is clear that he is an upstanding citizen and truly a remarkable person that helps make the world a better place, and is a great choice for Teen Ink’s Educator of the Year.