One of my Educators has stood out above all the others, and his name is Mr. Salvatore. He had been my wrestling coach from 6th to 8th grade, and he taught me almost everything I know about the sport; he also taught me some important life lessons. Along with that he helped me to become a respectful and responsible person.  Because he has done these things, I have been pushing myself to my fullest potential.

Some of the things he had taught me is that you need to give respect no matter who you are talking to because it's the right thing to do. Not only did he show me and everyone else on my wrestling team how respect is a two way street, he also taught us that you need to give some to get some. In addition, he was a good listener and often helped me think through how to handle personal situations. He had helped me in plenty  of ways and he didn’t do it to benefit himself, he did it for his students and wrestlers. These lessons he has taught me were greatly appreciated and helpful to me even now.

Mr. Salvatore was the type of teacher and coach that always provided encouragement to his students and wrestlers. This was helpful going through my middle school years which were difficult at times. I can remember a specific situation when I was in the 6th grade as a new student to Springer Middle School, and I was just making friends; had a very low self esteem. He helped me with my confidence and being on his team helped me make friends.  He creates an environment in his clubs and classroom where it is easy to make friends and become confident in yourself.

He also taught me most things I know about the sport which is a lot of discipline, dedication and hard work. Learning new moves was hard and challenging, but with his help it made it a lot easier. The practices were long and difficult but he always had a way of making them fun. He helped me in ways I didn’t even realize until I actually thought about it.  This year, when I ran cross country, some of the things that Mr. Salvatore taught me were helpful. His lessons carried through to other sports.And even into the classroom.

In summary, not only did Mr. Salvatore teach me to be a good wrestler, but he taught me to be a good citizen. The things Mr. Salvatore taught me have stuck with me up to this point and hopefully will stick with me for many more years to come. These reasons were influential to me and for that I thank him. By nominating him for the educator of the year.