Patrick Noel almost quit teaching 10 years ago. He was coaching and teaching at the high school level and not finding fulfillment.

He switched to elementary school, and everything changed.

Noel, a physical education teacher at Colvin Run Elementary on Trap Road in Vienna, has been named Virginia Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year by the Virginia Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (Virginia AHPERD), according to Fairfax County Public Schools.

He won on his third nomination.

"This was the third year I had been nominated and while it was frustrating to miss out on the award those first two years, it made it more special knowing how hard I've worked to be better for my students in that time," Noel said, according to FCPS.

Noel learned of the award just before the start of the school year. He described his reaction as "a combination of joy, relief, and excitement."

"This award doesn't happen if my principals, colleagues, and students don't believe in the vision I have for what a quality and meaningful physical education program should look and feel like," he said.

Nominations for the award come from principals, school colleagues and parents.

Trick shots and resilience

Noel's profile grew during pandemic school closures when he began filming basketball trick shots in the school gym and posting them on social media to stay connected with students. Once students returned to the building, he wove those trick-shot skills into his PE lessons.

When FCPS profiled his work in 2024, Noel spoke about building resilience into his curriculum. Trick shots turned out to be a natural fit because, as he put it, "your shot misses most of the time." But when a shot lands, the sense of achievement is significant.

"We have a lot of kids who struggle to overcome that fear," Noel said. "I work to get them to a place where they are comfortable failing. The byproduct of attempting something seemingly impossible is that you feel so good when you make it."

Beyond the gym

FCPS said Noel was recognized for contributions to the broader physical education community, not only for his classroom instruction. He leads professional development for other FCPS teachers and has presented at regional and national conferences.

According to FCPS, Noel will find out in December whether he has been chosen as SHAPE America's Southern District Teacher of the Year. That selection would make him a finalist for the National Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year. SHAPE America plans to announce national winners at its convention in Kansas City.

Colvin Run Elementary, led by Principal Kenneth Junge, serves students in pre-K through sixth grade in the Fairfax County Public Schools system.