Mr. Derrik Spooner’s departure from Mount Michael will mark the end of an era for the school. His contributions over the years have left an indelible mark on Mount Michael’s athletic, academic, and boarding programs. Spooner’s impact reaches not only to school programs, but also on the community and students of Mount Michael.
When Spooner joined Mount Michael as the head basketball coach, his intention was to teach and coach for the rest of my career.” But like all things do, Spooner’s visions changed during his years of coaching, and he had a new admiration for working in administration.
Spooner was later given the titles of Athletic Director and Dean of Students. In these new roles, Mr. Spooner faced new challenges, the most prevalent being balancing work and family life.
Spooner said, “There are not enough hours in the day, but I have an amazing wife who always understands.” The countless hours Spooner spent at Mount Michael supervising sporting events, recruitment camps, and other activities are a testament to his effort, passion, and dedication to making The Mount a better place.
While Spooner was working on making Mount Michael a better place, The Mount also did the same to him. Spooner said he learned to take something new from every situation, good or bad, and to learn from mistakes and put what he learned towards the next day.
Spooner hopes to be remembered for the effort and dedication he put into his different roles during his time here at Mount Michael. Although it may be tough for his successor to fill the Spooner-sized hole at the Mount, Spooner gave a word of advice to his successor saying, “Be ready for anything, every day is different, and you’ll have to think on the fly and roll with the punches.”
When asked the one thing he will miss the most about Mount Michael, Spooner responded with no hesitation, “The community.” The Mount Michael community is something Spooner holds close to his heart, and this is clearly seen in Spooner’s favorite memory of Mount Micheal. He talked about how special the Mount Michael community is and how apparent that was to him during a basketball game at Skutt Catholic after the passing of Kyle Palen’s father. The community rallied around Palen and supported him and his family through the tragedy.
Not only does Spooner hold the Mount Michael community close to his heart, but the community values him and his contributions to The Mount as well. Mount Michael will miss Spooner tremendously but his efforts to make the school a better place will last long after he is gone. His hard work and dedication to The Mount will forever be appreciated.
