Brewster Academy Athletics

Naadir Tharpe ’11 has been teaching since 2018, and says he most enjoys seeing his young students grow in their learning, and knowing that their time together helps mold them into the person they will become. Inspired by his own academic life as a child and the positive relationships he formed with teachers, Mr. Tharpe is glad for the opportunity to “give back what I learned.” 

As an Instructional Support teacher, Mr. Tharpe values the process of getting to know his students and helping prepare them for the future. “I have to go back to my memories of Ms. Kim Yau, and how much she set me up for my collegiate and adult life skills,” he recalls. “What I loved most about Brewster was the diverse group of students I was able to form friendships with—my teammates, the faculty, and the students,” he says, noting that the same diversity allows today’s Bobcats to make those great connections. 

Those familiar with Brewster’s basketball program will know Mr. Tharpe from his time on the court. A three-year starter for Coach Jason Smith’s Bobcats, Mr. Tharpe was part of the Lakes Region Championship team and the first Brewster squad to win a National Championship. In college at KU, he was a three-time Big 12 Champion, played in the Sweet 16 and the Final Four, earned the Oscar Robinson Player of the Week, and received a Big 12 Honorable mention in his junior year. 

In his free time, Mr. Tharpe loves making music and designing clothes, a creative passion he discovered after designing his first T-shirt in a Brewster art class!