By Greg Anderson
I was feeling a bit down one morning in Com-Mini-Cations class. Doug was going over articles that he wanted written for this issue and none of them seemed to interest me. He didn’t want me to write anymore boxing articles, so I was at a loss on how I could contribute to this issue. Then Doug mentioned that the featured teacher for this issue would be Joe Komarek and I immediately said I would take it. I had gotten to know the “KOM MAN” over the course of the year and had really taken a liking to him. But I wanted to get to know him a little better and doing this article was a perfect opportunity.
Joe is 26 years old and was born in Golden Valley, MN. He attended Armstrong High School and graduated in 1982. He then moved on and enrolled himself in 5 years at St. Cloud State, and now is renting a basement in Plymouth.
When I asked him what he was doing now for work, I figured he would say “I teach math in Mini-School,” but to my surprise that was just the beginning. He also substitute teaches here at Minnetonka, Hopkins and Robbinsdale. He coaches Varsity Soccer with our own Randy Nelson. He coaches 7th grade girls BASKETBALL, Ski Club, Hopkins JV baseball and in the summer he teaches Minnetonka Summer School math and is a bouncer/bartender at Lord Fletchers.
With all that, how could he have time for any free-time activities? But that guy does it all. He plays on and coaches an amateur baseball team called the “Hopkins A’s.” He also enjoys swimming and lifting weights.
It’s obvious this guy’s a baseball nut so I asked him his favorite baseball players. He told me Jim Eisenreich and Bo Jackson. The Bo Jackson motto, “Just Do It” is also Komarek’s motto. Judging from all his jobs and activities, he is doing it.
I had to end my interview by asking Joe how he felt about his first year in Mini-School. Joe’s answer, “An absolute pleasant, incredible experience.” He wished to thank the Mini-School staff for giving him the opportunity to use his teaching and social skills to do his own thing and to teach his own way. He enjoys the students in Mini but says he experiences some frustration when he sees some kids showing negative attitudes and “Just not doing it” in their school work. But all in all, he enjoys working in Minnetonka and would like to continue teaching Mini-School in the mornings and mainstream in the afternoon. I’m happy to have gotten to know Joe this year and I know the kids in Mini-School would like to continue having Joe working in Mini. “Just do it!”