New PE teacher an adrenaline junkie and family man

While most teachers gear up for the start of a new school year in August, one ARHS staffer leaped into the mix a little later, Jordan McCarthy, who was thrilled to be hired in October as a new Health and Physical Education teacher. In quarter two, McCarthy taught Health, Foundations of Personal Fitness, and Recreational games. McCarthy will also be teaching Child Development, along with Net, Wall, and Target Games, in the upcoming semester.

Before joining the ARHS community, McCarthy worked as a wellness teacher at the elementary school level and as a physical education teacher at the middle school level. Although his two most recent jobs have been in the fitness and education industry, it took some time for McCarthy to settle into this passion. 

McCarthy originally went to school to obtain a degree in Business Management. After four years at Bentley University, he began working in finance.

In 2017, McCarthy felt burnt out and questioned why he was still in the financial field. He began reevaluating his career. “I decided that since I loved coaching so much and felt that it was a passion of mine to work with student-athletes, it would make a ton of sense for me to look to work with students in a full-time career. I’ve been a teacher ever since,” he said.

McCarthy’s love of sports and coaching has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember. McCarthy grew up in Sudbury, MA where he was a four-sport athlete at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. He played soccer, hockey, baseball, and indoor track. At Bentley University he continued his career in both hockey and baseball. 

Eventually, he transitioned into coaching more than playing and since then has coached baseball and hockey across many different high schools. Additionally, McCarthy has coached women’s hockey at the collegiate level. “Coaching at the collegiate level is a whole different animal compared to high school,” he said.

McCarthy has carried over many of his values from coaching into his career as a physical education teacher. “My mission is pretty simple. It is the same that I have as a coach. My goal is to create an environment that is welcoming to all of my students, and adapt to each of their learning styles so that students can be themselves,” he said. 

McCarthy prides himself on being dependable and inclusive, two characteristics he plans to implement as he continues to teach and coach.

Outside of school and coaching, McCarthy enjoys spending time with his wife Danielle, his 9-month-old son Otis, and his dog, Luna. McCarthy refers to his family as his motivation, wanting “to do the best for them always.” 

McCarthy spends his family time skiing, kayaking, and playing board games. McCarthy not only describes himself as a very competitive person but also as an adrenaline junky as evident through his obsession with riding roller coasters and logging interesting data about each one, including their height and speed. “Any chance I have to go zip lining or ride roller coasters, I’m always down,” he said.

So far, McCarthy has enjoyed his time at ARHS and is excited for the upcoming hockey and ski seasons. McCarthy continues to settle into this new community after overcoming the challenge of starting the school year a quarter in. 

He is eager to meet new people and encourages people to stop by and chat. “I am a big sports fan, so if anyone likes to chat about sports, I’m all ears,” he said.