Olentangy Berlin Assistant Principal Chris Tressel opened up at Football Friday Nights in high school. He furthered his passion in coaching and uses his experiences with shyness in his career.  

   With ruthless siblings and a stutter he would later grow out of in fifth grade, Tressel grew up very shy and reserved. He rarely talked through elementary and middle school and would avoid public speaking if possible. Tressel joined the football team in middle school but it would not be until he felt involved and found a passion for football in highschool that he would start to open up. 

   “Once I did it, and once I was involved in it, I felt like I belonged. When I felt like I belonged I started to blossom,” Tressel said.  

    Football came naturally to Tressel and he felt he shined under the Friday night lights. The attention he received from football allowed him to become more open and less reserved. He furthered his educational career in college at Ohio University. He wanted to continue his passion after college for the sport through coaching, and he started reaching out to coaches. 

   “I reached out to every highschool football coach in Ohio,” Tressel said.

    Tressel happily accepted a job coaching and teaching at the middle school level at Shanahan Middle School. He currently works at Olentangy Berlin High School where he is the assistant principal. He works to fix both staff and student issues and loves to throw himself into challenging situations. Tressel is able to use his experiences of being shy to connect with students and better understand their point of view. He wants to lead and be in the spotlight because he knows he is the right person for the job. He wants his work to be purposeful and stresses that his door is always open for students who need help. 

   “I understand students who are the way I used to be, I have a special place in my heart that holds people with similar problems,”  Tressel said.