Matt Heckel has worked at Dakota Ridge High School since its opening in 1996. Starting as a football coach and a women’s basketball coach, he began teaching 9th-grade English the following year. It wasn’t until 2005 that Mr. Heckel moved into administration as the athletic director of DRHS.
Q: What do you do at Dakota Ridge?
A: My title is assistant principal/athletic director. So, I do the office duties as assistant principal with evaluating teachers, helping with discipline, and all that other stuff. But then I’m in charge of all the athletic departments. I’m in charge of hiring coaches, evaluating coaches, making sure the program is going the way it should, and budgets.
Q: What prompted you to start working in administration?
A: They had a big change and I loved teaching, I loved coaching, but I thought I could make a difference in being a strong leader of the coaching staff in helping lead our athletic program and teachers to a new level.
Q: What is your favorite part about your position?
A: My favorite part about my position is the kids. Friday night I was there at 10 o’clock watching a hockey game, and people say, oh that seems like a long day, but I get to watch kids play. It’s the best part, getting to see kids play, and getting to be around awesome kids. Being in the halls and getting to say hi to all the kids, that’s the best part of my job. I don’t have two kids, I have 1,302 kids.
Q: Why is that your favorite part?
A: You get to see them [athletes] succeed. You get to see them overcome obstacles. Life is not always about winning, there are other life lessons that are learned from just competing. That’s the best part of that. Being in the halls, getting to see and know the different kids, know their issues, and know their lives, their cares, and their concerns.
Q: What is your least favorite part of your position?
A: When I taught 9th grade English, I had 150 kids. And then the next year I’d have 150 kids, next year I’d have 150 kids, and then coaching and all that. I knew 90% of the student population. Now I don’t know as many kids, as I wish I could, by their names. I try. I look at the yearbook and try to memorize names, but I don’t do a very good job on that. The worst part is not knowing the kids by names. I have good relationships with kids, but I’d like to know them on a deeper level. When I was in the classroom, I’d know them deeper, know their family, and here it’s only a quick “Hey! How you doing? How’s things going?” I wish I could build deeper relationships with kids and know more kids on a deeper level.
Q: You’re in charge of the Super Fans of Dakota Ridge, right? How is that?
A: Yes. That’s awesome. It’s one of my favorite things that we created here at Dakota Ridge. It is a group of kids that we train on what the expectations are on how to be a positive and energetic crowd. It’s well known: I’ve given presentations across the nation, in Florida, on how to build a super fan base. I think they’re invaluable because they help bring a positive spirit, plus help me curtail bad sportsmanship. The key is finding the right group of kids, and I really love the group of kids we have this year.
Q: If you could pick any other job in this building, which one would you pick and why?
A: I loved teaching To Kill a Mockingbird, I loved coaching, I loved doing all of that. I loved teaching literature, finding different ways for the kids to learn and love the joy of reading.
Q: What do you like to do outside of school?
A: I love to work out and hang out with my family— I have a grandson and he’s grown crazy, so fast. I have two amazing kids who are former Eagles, so I love hanging out with my son and my daughter.
Q: When did your son and daughter graduate?
A: 2008 and 2010.
Q: Did you play any sports in high school?
A: I did. I played at Bear Creek — there I played football, mainly, and I tried out for basketball — that’s one of the things I have as an advantage. I tried out for basketball and I got cut, so I can understand how it hurts to be cut from a team because I know what it is like to be cut, and have that desire to be part of a team, and lose that. So, I played football, but I got cut from basketball.
Q: What would you like to see happen this year at Dakota Ridge?
A: What I’d like to see happen is for it to be a fantastic senior year, for us to end on a positive note with some fun activities so that all the seniors, instead of having senioritis, want to be here and understand how great it is, this last year. That four years from now they’ll look back and want to go back to their graduation, and their reunion, and be part of it. I want to end up on a positive, exciting note.
Q: What is a life motto you live by?
A: My life motto is “treat others as you would expect to be treated.” For example, when I taught when I was in front of the classroom, I looked out and that was my son or my daughter. I would treat them like I’d want my son or daughter to be treated. Sitting in my role today, when I discipline someone, I try and treat them how I’d want my son or daughter to be treated. I think you have to treat everybody with respect and earn that respect.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to say?
A: Hopefully, people understand what an amazing school we have. Part of my experience is that I’ve been at different schools and worked my way up — my ideal job was to be at Dakota Ridge High School. People don’t understand how special of a community, and how special of a school we have here that other people are envious of and wish that they could have the sense of community and positive school that we have here.
