In the world of education, the title of Teacher of the Year is one that speaks for itself. This year, Lambert High School celebrates Curtis Mattair as the recipient of this award, recognizing his critical role in the success of Longhorn Nation’s weight training program.
Coach Mattair has been a valued faculty member at Lambert since he first joined the school in summer of 2020. As the Director of Sports Performance, Mattair can be found spending his days in the weight room, instructing students in various strength training exercises. In addition, he spends his evenings on the field, coaching the athletes through their games.
“Since ‘09, certain sports [at Lambert] have been winning,” Mattair explained. “I would like to think I’ve helped them continue to win.”
Despite his profound passion for athletics, Mattair initially began his career in an entirely different territory. For college, he attended Alabama A&M University where he received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees for social work. After graduating, he went on to become a therapist for juvenile justice.
“I thought I would do that long term, but the stress level was super high,” Mattair expressed. “I was like, okay, I still want to work with youth, but how do I work with them on the front end? So I said, ‘you know what, education would be good.’”
Following his decision to change career paths, Mattair received his Professional Education Certificate from Georgia State University and began working as a substitute teacher. He was later hired as a paraprofessional and then as a special education teacher. After testing the waters of teaching for a bit, he decided to merge his passion for sports with his profession and enter into physical education.
“The classroom was cool, but I wanted to be in the weight room,” he said.
After navigating around a couple of schools from 2009 to 2020, Mattair finally joined Longhorn Nation during the COVID-19 pandemic, marking the start of a new era for the school’s weight training program.
“Working with the team for the first time, I didn’t know I was gonna get what I got,” he explained. “As the classes started rolling into the weight room when school started, having that female class during 4th period was the first time I’ve ever had an all female class. So that was memorable being like, wow, these girls actually get it.”
While Mattair’s influence is evident across Lambert, his strong social media presence adds a dynamic layer to his impact. His Instagram account showcases daily videos of Longhorn athletes performing weight training techniques, along with other highlights from the school’s athletic realm. He has racked up over 3,000 followers on the account, with his most viral video accumulating over 400,000 views.
“When I first started [Instagram], I let it be known that I wanted to showcase and highlight what our athletes are doing at the level of high school,” he expressed. “Some people think because our kids go to Lambert, they’re just blessed with the talent, like it’s just given to them. No, I want people to know that these kids actually work for it.”
Outside Lambert, Mattair has established a non-profit organization, Youth Sports Performance, that aims to provide education, mentorship and training to adolescents as they embark on their athletic journeys. This extensive program goes beyond the traditional classroom setting; it engages young students in practical and motivating physical education. Through hands-on experiences, Mattair provides the students with the necessary skills and mindset to lead a healthy, active lifestyle.
“That’s a big deal for me because that’s our way of giving back to the community and that’s my way of teaching our high school athletes how to lead the right way,” he explained.
As Mattair’s influence extends both within and beyond Lambert, he evidently displays the qualities of a star educator, showcasing what it truly means to be Teacher of the Year. Upon finding out about his big win, he shared that the achievement brought him a sense of validation.
“Just based on the journey to get here, to do what I’m doing and to be here in the P.E department which has a certain reputation,” he said. “To be able to get recognized for that award, I feel validated.”
Amidst it all, Mattair leaves a simple, yet powerful message to his fellow educators and students:
“Love what you do, do what you love.”
