ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, January 21, 1996 TAG: 9601240001
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-10 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: HIGH SCHOOLS
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM
If there is a group in high school athletics that ranks as the most unappreciated, it's the athletic directors.
People who perform this job are unknown to the public except when it comes to complaints by unhappy parents or coaches. If there is a slip in the scheduling of bus transportation for off-campus events, athletic directors catch the heat. If an ineligible player suddenly appears and forces the forfeit of games, the AD gets the blame.
Then there's the weather. The recent snow storm is one example of why athletic directors are in a living hell during the winter months. The snow wiped out more than a week of high school extracurricular activity from Jan. 6 through Jan. 16. Nothing moved except snow plows, and no games were played.
So the athletic directors, who returned to work this week, had to reschedule all the events. And his isn't just varsity basketball, wrestling and volleyball. It involves junior varsity, freshmen and sometimes middle school teams. If the AD is also the activities director, throw in a lot of non-sports events to be rescheduled.
Among the most beleaguered group of ADs might be those in Montgomery County.
One Tazewell County administrator said last week that he heard Montgomery County schools - Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Auburn and Shawsville - might try to cut costs and turn AD duties over to assistant principals next year.
``We used to do that in this county,'' warned the Tazewell County man. ``When we were doing that, we had `Cleatsgate' at Richlands.''
He was referring to the incident where Richlands football coach Dennis Vaught ordered and outfitted his team in illegal cleats for a state playoff game against Salem. One scapegoat in this affair was the Richlands athletic director, who was also the assistant principal.
Fortunately, Dr. Herman Bartlett, superintendent of Montgomery County schools, knows of no such plan to make assistant principals the athletic directors. He says one board member has asked him to look into having one athletic director for all four schools as a cost-saving measure, but that's the only change he has been requested to study.
Still, Montgomery County athletic directors have gotten together to make a proposal for higher pay for coaches in their system as well as taking off some of their teaching load so they'll have more time to attend to scheduling, etc.
This addresses a big need of Montgomery County schools - especially as Blacksburg and Christiansburg move into the Blue Ridge District.
First, Montgomery County schools have a reputation for being among the lowest paying when it comes to coaching and athletic director supplements. A look at the difference in supplements at Salem, the Cadillac of schools when it comes to paying coaches, and Montgomery County illustrates this point.
At Salem, the coaching supplement for the head football coach goes from $3,700 to $5,800 depending on experience. In Montgomery County, head coaches in football and basketball get $2,350 per year regardless of experience.
Also, in Salem, the coaching supplement for tennis ranges from $1,900 to $2,946. Two years ago, Dave Petersen gave up the head tennis job at Salem to become an assistant principal at Blacksburg. Given that Petersen was one of the more experienced tennis coaches around at that time, he probably was getting a higher supplement than Blacksburg football coach Dave Crist, who had as much or more experience.
Montgomery County athletic directors, besides trying to make small improvements in the pay to help lower paid assistants, want less class time for themselves. Currently, the ADs teach a full load of classes at least one semester.
They have requested improvements in teaching loads on a gradual basis so that by the 1998-99 school year, athletic directors at Blacksburg and Christiansburg, two Group AA schools, will have no classes while those at Auburn and Shawsville will have only two classes.
To illustrate their points, they submitted a list of 36 things that athletic directors do ranging from scheduling, dealing with booster clubs, reconditioning athletic equipment, filling out eligibility forms, etc.
Hopefully someone in Montgomery County and in other systems where athletic directors need a little help will listen to these pleas.
BIG ORANGE WRESTLING: The Big Orange wrestling tournament, which is Timesland's most prestigious event for the regular season, has been rescheduled for the weekend of Feb. 2-3 at William Byrd. Unfortunately, nine-time winner Franklin County, the best program in Timesland, won't be involved because the Eagles have Northwest Region dual meet competition that weekend.
The tournament, usually numbering 16 teams, will have, at most, 13 squads. Albemarle, Bassett, Brookville, Cave Spring, E.C. Glass, Lord Botetourt, Martinsville, Northside, Patrick Henry, Staunton River, William Byrd and William Fleming will participate. Also, Group AA Osbourn from Manassas might come to the tournament.
Fieldale-Collinsville, Glenvar, Blacksburg, Salem and Heritage were forced to drop out along with Franklin County because of prior commitments.
VHSL ACTION: Former Radford High athlete Kevin Saunders, now the head football coach at William Campbell, has been reprimanded by the Virginia High School League for remarks he made about the officiating crew following his team's 7-6 loss to Graham in the Group AA, Division 3 semifinals.
According to VHSL programs supervisor Larry Johnson, a letter has been put into Saunders' file by William Campbell warning him that if it happens again, more serious steps will be taken. This action was accepted by the VHSL and the Western Virginia Football Officials Association in Roanoke, whose crew called the game.
LENGTH: Medium: 100 linesby CNB