Andrew Spawn
Andy Spawn grew up in Philadelphia, PA where he wrestled for Friends Select School in the Quaker League. Although modestly successful as a wrestler, the sport was very important to him, and he credits it (and his Coach Ken Bailey) with teaching him the many important values that guide him to this day. At a time in life when many teenagers struggle to find where they belong, wrestling became a big part of his identity, and instilled in him a sense of the importance of working hard and dedicating himself to achieving goals. Arriving in Baltimore to teach science in 1987, he was asked to serve as an assistant coach of the Friends Junior Wrestling Program. When the coach unexpectedly left mid-season, Coach Spawn took up the reins of that program to finish the season and continued to run it until 1995. Then, due to declining numbers, Coach Spawn retired the Friends Team from the Maryland Junior Wrestling League. Simultaneously, however, he began planning with Varsity Coach Tom Lamonica to create a new independent entity at Friends that would be open to all schools. This new program, the North Baltimore Wrestling Club, entered the MJWL in 1996 and continued until 2006. The team then decided to switch to the Upper Chesapeake League, whose schedule, age/weight structure and round robin match format seemed better suite to developing young wrestlers. Over its 22 years of existence, North Baltimore Wrestlers have been successful at both the league and state level. Moreover, the team's primary focus has always been on promoting the sport and on developing kids' resilience and sportsmanship. While wins and losses are important to his wrestlers, the purpose of the North Baltimore Wrestling Club is to build strong kids who can excel in their endeavors. Andy has served on the Executive Committee of the Upper Chesapeake Wrestling League for many years, encouraging and guiding the league to maintain a balance between competition and personal growth of its young wrestlers. Coach Spawn currently lives in Baltimore with wife, Carla, and his two sons Zachary (22) and Kyle (19).
Awards:
Year
2019
|
Award
Lifetime Service to Wrestling
|
Chapter/Region
Maryland
|