“Atta girl!!” I hear as my Nike cleats dig into the dusty field. I’m running as fast as I can, hearing the wind swoosh against my gold helmet, and the chants of young girls that keeps me going. I do not reach first base in time; in that moment, of course, I am disappointed, but I know weeks from now I will not remember that. Weeks from now I will remember what my coach said to me after that; he told me I looked great out there, and that my effort was all he could even see. As you can already tell, this is one amazing man, and you’re probably dying to know his name. Well, I’ll put you out of your misery. I couldn’t write this many good things about many people, but there’s one man I know I could write this on, the one and only, Master Chief Call.


In life, you don’t come across many people that actually care for you. Most are just curious or want to be in the loop. Also in life, very more often than you’d probably like, you meet those extra-nosey people that always cross the line asking personal questions at all the wrong times. Master Chief Call is one of the rare ones. The ones that you can tell care just by the way they ask how are you, he doesn’t ask personal questions like that one creepy teacher, but more like the one who would do anything in his power to make sure you were okay.


Master Chief Call is not only my softball coach, he is an instructor at the Delaware Military Academy, in other words, a teacher, but for me he is beyond that. He is a man of many words, that could probably talk to you for hours, about just anything. He is a father. Because his daughter attends the school as well, and plays softball with me, I get to see how they interact with each other. In the words of Abby Call, “I would be no where without my dad.” I will always remember the nights, they gave me a ride home or took me somewhere with them, and he would treat me like his own, for me, it is a fresh feeling. Knowing one of the staff members cares about you beyond your grades, and behavior in school will always be comforting.


Surprisingly I haven’t had Master Chief as a teacher already, but that is a negative. Besides, the first week at boot camp coming into the school, I have not had the chance to experience him as an instructor. But from boot camp I know that he is very wise. He is smart, and he uses that to help others when they need it. He is genuine, and he says things bluntly at times they need to be said. He is brave, and he will share some of his life stories with you. He is experienced, and he has been through a lot, in and out of school. And most of all, he is himself. He doesn’t try to fit in with other adults, or kids for that matter. I think even if he was the only one that believed in something, if nobody else believed in it with him, he would still believe in it the same way, as if everyone believed in it with him.


When my teacher, Mrs. Dick explained we would be thinking about an Educator of the Year Nomination, he was one of the few that came to mind. Although being a teacher is not in my plans, if I become one, I would hope to be at least half of the one Master Chief is. From being able to crack jokes, to making students feel comfortable enough to come to him for issues outside of school, he is a complete educator in my mind. The traits he has, could take many a lifetime to get. As many times as I have said it, I’ll take this time to say Thank You again, for showing me I don’t have to be the best in something to be noticed. You may win and lose a lot of things in life, but if you have fun doing it, and you make yourself proud that will always be the main goal. All in all, Master Chief Call may be one ordinary man, but he does extraordinary things; there are not many fish like him in the sea.