Do you have any plans going into the New Year?
I have many plans, I have lots of plans. Trying to execute them is going to be a really tough task because there is a lot of things that I am learning as I come into into my new position. Some of the things I want to do are to get ready for spring sports, and we are going to try to create some clinics. For instance, for softball and baseball we will have some throwing and catching sessions inside, or if the weather permits, outside. We just want athletes to be prepared so that they are not touching a bat or glove or ball for the first time. We are going to do the same thing for lacrosse where we will have Coach Christian come over and do some wall ball stuff inside the gym.
What has been the best and worst part of your new role?
The worst part has been that I’ve note been spending as much time with the students as I have in the past. I have grown accustomed to being with the smaller kids all the way through the 12th grade, where I spend a lot time with them and they get to know me. However, the best part is that everyone has been supportive of me and they want to see me succeed, from the boosters and the parents, and all the way to the coaches and the faculty, and to the kids. So the best part is that it is an all hands on deck, and the faculty have been great and everyone stepping it up and saying ‘what we can help you with,’ and ‘what we can do for you or can make easier for you.’ I just think that working together, we will have a chance to grow athletics in a way that we have not had in the past.
How have you been working on communication with the Brimmer community?
We have been working on ways to communicate what is going on in athletics more. So in the background, what people do not know yet is that we are working very hard with Veracross in order to have it so that all of you, not just for classes, but also your athletics, are also underneath this system. You can go and look on your name—and we have not gotten there yet, but we are working on it—and so that you will be able to know when you have games and your practice schedule. I have been sending out weekly emails with a spreadsheet, and that will hopefully transition one day to fall under Veracross. I have been trying to give updates on what has been going on, including with students who do outside-of-school sports. I want to celebrate the athlete in general, and maybe highlighting horseback riders, dancers, climbers, and ninja warriors. Sometimes, there are things that our students are doing that are pretty cool, and you would never know about it unless someone sent out an update and let the community know.
What have you been working to build in our sports program?
We are special because we are working towards certain goals, and we should be celebrated for it, but we just need to be able to push where we are at to another place. We have to continue caring for each other, for our School. If we do that, we have a great chance of everyone being excited about athletics. To me, the most important part is trying to build an even better community.
