Athletic directors at both George Stevens Academy and Deer Isle-Stonington High School have spent the last few weeks scheduling and preparing for the 2018-19 high school basketball season. By Anne Berleant
Blue Hill/Island—While the regular season for winter sports does not kick off until next week, athletic directors at both George Stevens Academy and Deer Isle-Stonington High School have been busy for weeks, coordinating game and bus schedules, practice times and more to get ready for the season.
“The first task is to make sure we have coaches,” said Betsy Woodward, who is in her second sports season as DISHS’s athletic director.
After coaches are secured, the athletic directors dive into scheduling. The Penobscot Valley Conference board creates a schedule for all the teams in the league, according to Woodward. If that schedule works for all the teams, it will stand for the season, barring any weather cancellations. If there is a conflict, the athletic directors from the schools will coordinate a change to the game.
“It’s a lot of emails and phone calls [between athletic directors],” said Woodward. “We also try to pick up more games with teams that are not in the PVC. You reach out to different schools and see who is available.”
At George Stevens Academy, basketball is not the only winter sport to schedule. The school also fields a swim team and an indoor track team, which makes for an even busier off season for athletic director Larry Gray. Gray has to coordinate with four head coaches, as well as game days and times for each team. While the basketball teams will play half their respective games at home, the swimming and indoor track teams are required to travel to each competition.
Travel can be a challenge, as both teams play some games against teams over an hour away. In addition to weather playing a factor, it is also important that the athletic directors have planned for buses well in advance for away trips.
“I coordinate with Brown’s Busing to schedule transportation. I determine what time the bus needs to leave for games. If games are canceled or rescheduled I have to notify Brown’s of any changes,” said Woodward.
Woodward added that while she tries to be conscious of the cost of transportation during the season, the distance the teams travel cannot be helped.
“It is a bit of a drive for us to get anywhere beyond Blue Hill,” she said.
Both athletic directors are also in charge of coordinating practice schedules well in advance with coaches for all teams, as well as setting up preseason meetings for parents, students, coaches and anyone else who might be involved in the season. Additionally, athletic directors are tasked with submitting rosters to the Maine Press Association and inquiring media outlets, monitoring the academic eligibility of the students on those rosters, and other paperwork regarding any injuries that could come up during the season.
“It is a very time consuming job, but very rewarding and worth it,” said Woodward.