“A lot of people ask about the tattoo,” said Social Studies Department Chair Phillip Mitchell.

And I was one of them. Who wouldn’t be curious about the teacher’s unique tribute to his young daughter?

“I had wanted to get a tattoo for a long, long time,” Mitchell said. “… I wasn’t sure what I could stick on me that I wouldn’t feel differently about later.  After becoming a father I knew here was something about which I would never feel differently.”

Besides his fatherly duties, Mitchell is Free State’s pole vault coach. Having never competed in that event, Mitchell had a lot to learn in his first couple of years, but now has the hang of it.

“It’s a pretty big responsibility to teach someone to do something so reckless, but … I’ve got a spectacular group of kids to work with,” he said.

And the feeling is mutual. Senior student-athlete Dan Krieger is guided by Mitchell both in the classroom and on the field but attributes all the success he’s had in pole vaulting to Mitchell.

“He’s the only reason I’ve gotten where I’ve gotten,” Krieger said. “Every single day I’m learning something new with him helping me along that … I think he does a lot on his own since he’s a new coach to it and he’s really, really improved over the years that I’ve had him.”

Besides training athletes to compete well, Mitchell tries to develop students in the classroom.

“To function best as a teacher I have to develop rapport with my kids,” he said. “We have to create a classroom that we enjoy being within.”

Most students can agree that Mitchell’s use of humor achieves the engaging and appealing environment he strives for as well as distinguishes him as a better coach.

“He likes to have fun. He’s not super strict and he’s really easy to get along with which helps me learn more than someone yelling at me,” Krieger said. “… He’ll either make fun of you in a funny way so you’re laughing along with it or he’ll make himself look stupid, one of the two, and just keep you laughing so that you’re able to enjoy yourself and not get mad and block everything out.”

“I really enjoy putting together a lesson that engages all of my kids,” Mitchell said. “… I realize that maybe not everyday in World History will blow them away, but its a good goal to have nonetheless.”

With high aspirations comes high achievements, and as a successful coach, teacher and father, Mitchell has accomplishments to spare.