I decided to do a little research on thesubject of the duties of a high school athletic director after seeing NormalCommunity High School AD Andy Turner add one more to his own duties last week .Butmore about him shortly.
I just wanted to look at the matter in generalterms. Usually, the contact I have with our area athletic directors has to dowith making sure The Normalite has a spot handy for our staff (that would beme, and our photographer) at football and basketball games.
According to About.com, ADs “are responsible for preparing a budget, allocating spending onitems like coach’s salaries, team travel, equipment purchases, and facilityupkeep.†If you have been to football games, and you know any of our athleticdirectors, you may have seen them making last minute preparations to thefacilities.
About.com also explains that at the high school level, “Athletic directors work with coachesto determine scheduling of games and practices. They also work with conferencesand leagues on scheduling and other issues, like post-season play. Within aprogram, decisions may have to be made on how to allocate time for a field,court, or weight room. In addition, ADs often provide guidance for coaches.
ADs work with coaches to plan trips. They also coordinate officials and umpires at games andbudget for their pay. ADs file status reports on each team, including successesand noting areas where improvement is needed. They may mediate any disputesbetween athletes and coaches or between coaches.
That thumbnail sketch satisfied my curiosity about an AD position under normal circumstances. Butsince the beginning of the year, Turner has been adding another unexpected dutyto his list at NCHS: Interim Head girls’ basketball coach. He said that althoughhe does not teach classes, he said he “coaches every day.â€
Turner has been on the frontlines of the Ironmen’s girls’ basketball program, serving as interim head coachof both the junior varsity and varsity squads after placing head coach MeganSchwefel and her assistants on administrative leave.
On Jan. 26, Turner was on thesidelines for one of the bigger games of the season, at rival Normal CommunityWest High School, with proceeds at the front gate of this game going to TheSusan G. Komen Foundation, which helps fight breast cancer. It’s an annualevent dubbed “the Pink game,†because both sides don pink jerseys for thecontest.
Turner was at the helm forboth the JV and varsity contests, and deflected entirely any questions abouthow he felt about being on the sidelines by saying, “the kids have done a greatjob. They have been absolutely fabulous. They’ve done a great job.â€
And try as they might, theLady Ironmen did their best but could not overcome West, as the Wildcatsadvanced on to a 58-42 victory on their home court.
Turner said it has been “fiveor six years†since he was a head coach of a team. He did not, from what Iwitnessed from press row, seem ill at ease on the sidelines. But he was alsovery quick to take the spotlight off of himself or the current situation behindthe scenes, which anyone would understand.
“The kids have done everythingto make it enjoyable,†Turner told me following the loss. “They’ve done thingsto make it our games competitive and fun.
“They’ve done all the rightthings,†he said. “That’s the fun of it, right there. You’ve got to give allthe credit to the kids. They’ve done all the things that make it fun and makeit right.â€
It also doesn’t hurt to havean AD who can take charge and do it calmly in the most stressful ofcircumstances. All of our high school ADs in this area have that gift from whatI have seen, and players, parents, and fans should all be grateful for that.That gift just got a little more noticeable given the situation at NCHS.
On a related note, concerningthe money raised at the “Pink†game, fans’ generosity needs to be noted, as theevent raised $544.69 for the Komen Foundation. And there is another charitygame yet to come between the boys’ high school teams that represent Unit 5 on Friday,Feb. 3, at Normal Community West High, starting with a 7:30p.m. tip. Donationswill be taken at the door with those proceeds going to the American HeartAssociation. Before the varsity tilt starts, the JV teams from these schoolswill play a 6p.m. game.
On another subject, I attendeda high school competition of a different kind on Thursday, Jan. 26, theIntercity Scholastic Bowl. Teams of five high school students from the areaschools competing in a knowledge test. Both Varsity and junior varsity wererepresented by all five schools. Bloomington High School was a perfect 4-0 inVarsity, with University High placing second going 3-1; Bloomington CentralCatholic placed third at 2-2; Normal West placed fourth at 1-3; and NCHS was0-4, placing fifth.
In the JV standings, thingswere a little different although BHS placed first with a 4-0 mark. But NCHScame in second at 3-1; Central Catholic placed third at 2-2; University Highplaced fourth at 1-3; and Normal West placed fifth at 0-4.
Whether varsity or junior varsity, all the teams from these schools are to be congratulated for theirefforts. In a future column, I will tell you more about this scholastic event.
Finally, best wishes go out to Rex Sligar. You may not know the name but if you spent any time getting snacksat Illinois Wesleyan University’s Shirk Center at either the Bloomington-NormalState Farm Holiday Tournament, or the McLean County/Heart of IllinoisConference Tournament, you probably can place his smiling face. He’s thebespectacled gentleman who runs the concession stand at IWU games and the highschool tourneys that come through there.
Rex has been recovering from arecent illness since late December, forcing him to miss part of the HolidayTourney and all of the County Tournament. Those of us who have seen Rexregularly over the years at these events wish him well and hope to see him backat the Shirk Center soon.
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