Los Angeles Kings October 2022 Teacher of the Month

Future GoalsTM Program

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Los Angeles Kings October 2022 Teacher of the Month

Name:

Matthew Cirillo

School:

Bud Carson Middle School

Classroom Team:


Tell us about yourself!

I am in my sixteenth year as a full time teacher after spending a year as a substitute teacher. I decided to become a teacher for two main reasons, one is that I genuinely appreciate the spirit of the youth of America and find it very refreshing when students are allowed to be themselves, second as cliche as it may be I just want to make a positive difference in young people’s lives.

Who is your favorite NHL® player and why?

It is easy to pick a superstar, but my current favorite player is Brendan Lemieux. The spirit and energy he possesses, the desire to stick up for teammates that he displays, and the fierce grit/determination he shows in adverse situations is what I miss most about playing competitive youth hockey and when I can get away with it, I try to play the same way in men’s league. .

What is your favorite part of the Future Goals™program? How do you see STEM in the game of hockey?

As a near life long fan of hockey and the Los Angeles Kings I am always looking for opportunities to bring awareness of the Kings and hockey in general to a population that has historically been disconnected with the world of hockey. As a player of hockey I know just how important STEM awareness has in the game. I grew up playing goalie and that position is all about angles, perspective, and general spatial awareness. Now, as an adult playing in men’s league, I play forward/center and am constantly making connections to various aspects of health, power, and geometry.

If you played hockey, what position would you play and why?

I do play, while I’ll always look fondly on my years as a youth playing goalie, I play forward/center now and really enjoy the center position due to its importance and versatile requirements.