Noah Sasaki is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover San Tan Charter High School for AZPreps365.com

GILBERT – For Kristofer Sippel Jr., San Tan Charter is more than just his first program as an athletic director. It is his alma mater and his heritage.

Currently in his first year at the helm of the Roadrunners’ athletics department, Sippel Jr.'s history with San Tan Charter is rooted far deeper than just athletics and can be traced back to the school’s founding.

“Kristofer is really the reason we have this school,” Kristofer Sippel, San Tan Charter’s superintendent and co-founder, said. “We started it for him as a student.”

Founded in 2006 by Sippel Jr.’s parents, San Tan Charter has been the family business since he was a young child.

“Those first couple of years we had the school, he was putting in the 12-hour days with us as a  5-year-old,” Sippel said.

As Sippel Jr. grew, so did his role at San Tan Charter. Aside from being one of less than 100 students attending the charter school in its early years, Sippel Jr. also found himself a volunteer for odd jobs around campus during the school year and in the summers.

 “A lot of that was just manual labor, building stuff and helping out teachers whenever they needed,” Sippel Jr. said.

In 2016, when San Tan Charter expanded to a full K-12 curriculum, Sippel Jr.’s contributions to the school’s history changed, as he became one of the school’s first student-athletes.

“San Tan started out in 8-man tackle,” Sippel Jr. said of his first football seasons. “I think we had like 13 kids on the team.”

Despite small roster sizes, San Tan Charter quickly found success. In Sippel Jr.’s sophomore year, he experienced his first championship season on the football team.

“I kind of did a little bit of everything that year,” Sippel Jr. said. “I was the running back, wide receiver, safety. I did whatever the team needed.”

Sippel Jr.’s jack-of-all-trades philosophy carried over beyond football. He was a three-sport athlete and participated in some of the first boys volleyball and basketball teams for the Roadrunners as well.

In his junior year, Sippel Jr. emerged as a top contributor on his teams despite growing rosters and sports changes. 

He led the football team in all-purpose yards and receiving touchdowns after the Roadrunners moved from 8-man to 11-man tackle football, and was in the top three for points per game, assists per game, and steals per game on the basketball team.

However, while his individual performances improved, he did not win a state championship in any of his three sports during his junior year.

Sippel Jr.’s championship drought was short-lived, as his senior year started with another state championship for football

During the season, Sippel Jr. was moved from wide receiver to quarterback. Despite the transition, he led his team to a state championship and 7-2 record with a division-high 722 passing yards.

“That season I think the group of guys we had and the coaches that were leading us were just special and you knew it,” Sippel Jr. said. 

Sippel Jr.’s success with the Roadrunners did not stop with football. He won a second state championship for the year with the boys basketball team, and saw an undefeated boys volleyball season cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

When Sippel Jr. graduated, he left for Webber International University in Florida. However, his connection to San Tan Charter remained strong, as he tuned in to football games to cheer on his brother from across the country.

With the opportunity to finish his undergraduate degree a year early, and being informed that the athletic director position was opening up, Sippel Jr. was called back to continue the work at San Tan that started over 15 years ago.

“It grew as I grew,” Sippel Jr. said of his decision to come back to San Tan Charter. “Knowing that and knowing the hard work and the sweat and tears that my parents put in, it’s almost foolish of me not to come back and not to support the school that they worked so hard to build.”

His first season has started strong, as both football and girls volleyball have found their way into the top 10 for their division. For some, the winning ways he brings are the result of mentality. While for others, it is simply a matter of support.

“I love having him there,” Katie Sippel, a freshman on the girls volleyball team, said of her oldest brother. “It’s one of my favorite things coming into this school year, knowing I have my brother’s support with everything.”