Mr. David Engle had dreams of becoming a teacher but also had a further dream of becoming a professional baseball player. Lo and behold, he achieved both.  

Engle has started his first year navigating the school this year, like many new students. But, this new Health and Physical Education teacher has been on a long journey from his own high school to North Penn. Through his impressive career, Engle has been able to not only achieve his athletic goals but his teaching goals as well. 

After graduating high school, he attended Ursinus College as a collegiate athlete for baseball. While earning his Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sports Science, Engle played baseball full time and held the position of starting pitcher. Being faced with such an opportunity, Engle debated whether going full professional or keeping himself domestic. 

“I chose Ursinus because it was so strong academically, and I wanted to make sure that I had a good degree with an opportunity to get a job right out of college. But in the back of my mind, I knew that I wanted to try and play professional baseball if I could, and if it didn’t work out I could always have the backup of teaching and coaching.” Engle acknowledged. 

After graduating from Ursinus in 2009, a year later Engle was signed to an independent professional baseball team. Playing for the Gary Railcats in Gary, Indiana, Engle held the position of a relief pitcher. Similar to being the starting pitcher for his Ursinus, he felt the pressure of being the security for his college team. “I definitely got both sides of it. The starter mentality of ‘Okay this is my team and I’m going to put the team on my back, and coming in as a reliever, you have to come in mentally strong and ready to go at any time” Engle described. 

Being surrounded by baseball for most of his life he feels as though it has shaped him and his personality into who he is today. 

“Being focused on athletics helped me prepare for adversity. Whether it is academic, sports, or life in general, I could work through some of those more challenging times in life. It helped grow and stay balanced” Engle explained. 

He encourages students to pursue being collegiate athletes if given the opportunity. Although he strongly encourages academics before athletics, he feels as though the skills gained from being a part of a team make a person better, and helps them navigate through life just a bit easier.            

“I think you need to have a really nice balance and I think you need to be realistic about your expectations. You have to know that if you’re going to play athletics in college, that it is going to require a lot of you-time and work. But athletics is a great healthy way to get involved in clubs, college campuses or within the community” Engle admitted. 

If he was not playing, he was teaching. During his off season, Engle was a substitute teacher of health and physical education at the school he eventually got his job at. Whilst doing this, he realized the security he would have if he became a teacher.

“I thought to myself that sports don’t last forever and that Phys. Ed. is always going to be a tough job to get into. I saw a great opportunity and my brain told me that I needed to get into an established career. I wanted to get into coaching and teaching because it was another passion of mine” Engle elaborated. 

Now with almost 15 years of experience, Engle is familiar with the physical education system and what surrounds it. With his first year here at North Penn, he is exuberant at the sheer amount of choice the students have. He is excited to be able to expand the horizons of gym class for students as well.

“[North Penn’s] Phys. Ed. department is totally into trying new things and is not just focused on team sports. Each class is catered to its grade and the faculty try to get everyone’s opinions, in order to create more opportunities for the students,” Engle suggested. 

Engle looks forward to finding his niche here at North Penn and seeing what this school brings to this new chapter of his life.