Good evening Stapleton Community!
During the first two months of my time as Athletic Director/Activities Director I’ve heard various statements such as “slow down” “you’re always going somewhere” “take it easy” and similar comments. While I will always appreciate the sentiments - I think it is important that everyone understands a few things about me (1) I am just not wired that way (2) There is a lot to this position (3) I really do LOVE what I do.
Some of you may be wondering - Well what does the job of athletic director/activity director entail? I hope to maybe shed some light on that. I also want to make note that sometimes the job of Athletic Director intertwines with Principal - but I will leave that for another article in the future.
My number one role is to take care of people. Simple as that. So if you see me scurrying around it’s probably because I am checking on someone who is performing a task that I asked them (or we paid them) to perform.
All of the events that our students, staff, parents and community members attend need people in order to function. My job often calls upon me to talk with, meet with, interact with, and consult with a variety of individuals from near and far.
I spend time lining up officials - which includes making sure they get paid for their services. (Special thanks to Jeana for taking care of that!) - Are greeted upon their arrival - Ensure they are treated with professionalism and respect during our contests. Have a place to gather at the conclusion of the event and have food for their trip home. This year I have contracted with the local Stapleton Cooperative and Deli to make meals available to these individuals. Pam, Janet and all the crew at the deli do a fabulous job helping us out to make Stapleton a must-visit place for referees! This not only shows our gratitude and hospitality to officials (who sometimes travel two to three hours just to be here), but provides a new revenue stream for a local business.
I am in constant communication with our coaches. I make sure they have what they need to perform their tasks. When they need equipment such as balls, uniforms, water bottles, etc - I typically create the purchase orders and track items until I can deliver it to them. I attend practices during the week as much as possible, checking to see what goes on behind the scenes as the teams prepare for game days. I am often a sounding board for ideas or thoughts about what things need to be improved upon or to provide critical feedback. Sometimes I get feedback from them on things I need to do better.
Occasionally, I will try to reach out to individual players to find out their thoughts and feelings about how things are going throughout the sports season. Many of the kids I can see throughout the day during school, but for our partners over in Tryon, I have to make it a point to seek them out during breaks in practice, or between drills. I want all the student athletes to know I see them and care about them. They are - after all, why I am here.
Many days are spent organizing people to run events - clock operators, chain gang, announcers, line judges, gate/ticket takers etc. All of this is done through cooperation and coordination with the awesome individuals within our community and that of McPherson County Schools in Tryon. Additionally, I spend a lot of time coordinating with my cohort over in Tryon - Mrs. Kami Florea, who does just as much work as I do - just from 25-30 miles away. Everything that we do here in Stapleton could not be done without the wonderful work of individuals like Bo McVay and Paula Goffena. From preparing the locker rooms, painting the field, setting up the scoreboards, and clean up after events - NOTHING gets done without them. They deserve all the kudos and respect in the world!
At times I do have to address parental or administrative concerns about how things are fairing for our athletic and activity teams. I must always be prepared to have impromptu conversations about things I am aware of, things I might not be aware of, or general feedback/inquiries the public may have. I am extremely grateful for those of you who have stopped me at events to give me feedback on things you are seeing or feeling. It is important to me to know what you see. Please do not ever hesitate to stop me - I will always try my best to make time for you, or schedule a time where we can talk. I also appreciate all the emails and calls, but I do enjoy getting to see people face to face to talk shop!
Other duties call for meeting with coaches and administrators with other schools at events or conference meetings, consulting with our Athletic Trainer each week from North Platte to make sure our athletes are being taken care of physically, and informing the public about the variety of events going on at the school either through the newspaper, on our school website or various social media pages.
Again I want to stress that I LOVE this job, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be here. I will never apologize for trying to get so much done, as quickly as possible, because our students, staff, parents and community members deserve the very best one can give. It is my mission to take care of people first, those who help make things possible and those who visit us for even just a few hours. It is a great pleasure to be the Athletic Director/Activities Director at Stapleton Public Schools and our Cooperative as the Sandhills Valley Mavericks.