Written by Emma Sherman
“If you work hard, good things are going to come your way. It doesn’t matter what you do in life,” Athletic Director Patrick Marsman said.
Perseverance is something that many underestimate at least one time. But according to Marsman it is what gets you places in life, and high school. Marsmans only expectation of his students is to keep that up.
He believes that the diligence will help students not just in sports with him, but also with academics and any other extra curricular activities that kids choose to do.
For Marsman, the extra curriculars he always chose in high school were sports. Sports have always been a part of his life. However, managing high school sports as a career was never something that he thought he would end up doing.
“I thought I would teach, coach football, get married, have a few kids, and you know call it a career. I did not anticipate getting into administration as far as an assistant principal or an athletic director, that just kind of happened,” Marsman said.
Although he didn’t expect his life to turn out the way it did, he is happy with where he is at. He loves working with the students because they are respectful and care about what they are doing. Marsman also enjoys getting to see oversee the school’s sports from a new point of view.
Marsman started as a student at Northview, then started coaching in the 90s. About eight years ago, he decided to leave and start somewhere new. He worked at Forest Hills Northern for a year as a teacher and then moved to Thornapple Kellogg, where he started in administration. He then came back to Northview as an athletic director.
“I’m thrilled I’m at Northview, its treated me very well,” Marsman said.
Again, Marsman credits his dedication and determination for his success. He also recognises that this trait is important for students to maintain in everything they do, whether it be in sports or anything else they choose to do.
“I can get better everyday, I can do things better, so just continuing to see kids work hard and hopefully getting a few more kids out for any given sport, would make me happy,” Marsman said.