One of the physical education teachers at Cardozo, Mr. Villa, has been teaching since 2003. His passion for working with students in gym classes stems from his love of sports, specifically handball. Since the beginning of his career, Mr. Villa has been coaching handball teams throughout various DOE schools.
Beginning his career at Richmond Hill, he then transferred to the High School For Construction Trades, Engineering, and Architecture. However, he has been working at Cardozo for the past eight years. One of the main reasons he stayed working at Cardozo is because he feels they have a great sports program. He also built the handball teams here, which are now PSAL champions.
“It feels like home being at Cardozo, and the staff I work with, along with the students, help make every day fly by,” Mr. Villa said. Living close to the school also doesn’t hurt, he joked.
Despite his love for handball, he actually started his sports career in a different area.
“I actually did wrestling for almost all my life,” he explained. “It started in sixth grade, and I continued until I was around 28- years-old.” Wrestling was such a huge part of Mr. Villa’s life, and he continues to show his passion by supporting the Cardozo wrestling teams whenever he can.
“I didn’t expect to become a handball coach, but the school needed one, and I volunteered,” Mr. Villa continued. “I’m really glad I did since I got to witness so much improvement and consecutive wins from my team.” Since 2023, the girls varsity handball team has not lost a single match in the regular season or in playoffs. He continues to see his team grow better and hopes to secure another victory for the 2026 season.
Looking back, Mr. Villa gave a shout out to his former student athlete, Janisa Wu, who he said “secured” the championship for the team. “It wasn’t her alone that won the championship, but she was the deciding factor when the score was 2-2, which helped the girls continue to win year after year,” he added.
As a gym teacher, Mr. Villa is beloved. Koa, a leader for Mr. Villa’s class and a wrestler for the Cardozo said, “I had Villa as my service teacher for two years now, and he’s always been so much fun to be around.”
“There’s not a single student who doesn’t like him, and I always enjoy visiting him after my volleyball practices in the Spring,” Koa added.
Jasmeen, one of the athletes on the varsity handball team, shared how Mr. Villa truly impacts her life. “During the Spring, I never wanted to go home,” she explained. “Once I joined handball, I never wanted to go home. I met so many of my friends in this team, and I love how competitive but friendly the team is.”
Another Cardozo student, Johnson, has been on the handball team since his junior year. “Villa is my favorite teacher at Dozo, and I love versing him when the season starts,” he said. “I’ve been practicing so I can eventually beat him and brag.”
As a teacher and a coach, Mr. Villa hopes that his passion continues to spread to his students and athletes.
“I hope this year goes well for all my students and athletes,” he said.
