Marci Sporman is a coach, mother, wife, and an inspiration for many students in the Kearsley community. Her dedication, support, and guidance often extend beyond that of a coach, leaving an indelible mark on the lives of those she interacts with. Whether it’s through mentorship, leadership, or fostering a sense of community. People like Sporman are instrumental in creating a nurturing and inspiring environment for both learning and personal growth.
It’s been 13 years since she started coaching and learned that she enjoyed being around and helping kids and students. About 10 years ago she first started working as a paraprofessional in classrooms. Sporman is now in charge of reaching out to students and parents about the student’s attendance.
“A challenge I have encountered is when kids do not come to school regularly and I work with them to overcome obstacles so they attend school. I call parents and ask them what problems they might be experiencing that are preventing them from coming to school,” stated Sporman.
Sporman does her best to create an environment that everyone enjoys.
“I build a relationship with the students and they know that my room is a safe space they can come to if they ever need anything,” explained Sporman.
Sporman takes this idea into her way of coaching, in hopes of helping the kids reach their full potential.
“I understand everyone has different skills and abilities, each swimmer always has something to contribute no matter what. I also remember that the important part is that they are a part of something and having fun. I build relationships with my swimmers and I know what they are capable of and I motivate them each in their own way. I always say set goals, work hard for them, and always remember to have fun. I also instill what it means to be a good teammate and create a good team atmosphere,” expressed Sporman.
Now it’s obvious that not everything will be perfect with a team of teenagers, but Sporman seems to have that under control.
“I always communicate with all swimmers of my expectations and I also lead by example of how I want swimmers to treat teammates. I make sure to build a relationship with the swimmers. The key to building relationships with swimmers is being positive and being approachable with easy lines of communication. Building relationships and helping swimmers achieve their goals has got to be my favorite part of coaching. I feel like the swimmers know that they can always come to me with any problem,” replied Sporman.
For Sporman, one stroke has always stood out more than the others, that stroke is breaststroke.
“Breaststroke has to be my favorite stroke because it is a very technical stroke. It is so fun to watch swimmers compete that stroke at a meets. It takes so much training and power to be able to do this stroke well and compete at a high level,” she explained happily.
Sporman only seems to enjoy coaching more when her daughters are on the team. Her oldest daughter, Anna, was on the Kearsley’s Swim Team from 6th grade till she graduated in 2022. Sporman’s second daughter, Amelia, is currently a junior at Kearsley High School. She also has been on the swim team each year since middle school. Now Sporman’s youngest, Sofia, now in 8th grade, is following in their footsteps.
At the end of the day, Sporman just wishes to have a positive impact on as many students as she can and have a positive environment that makes students want to come to school.
In closing, Mrs. Sporman said, “taking it day by day, sometimes it can be quite challenging but in the end, these kids are like my family and I always go above and beyond for them,” she expressed emotionally.
