Chino Valley High athletic director outlines duties, urges students to prioritize academics

Mister Clark, athletic director at Chino Valley High School, said in the Chino Valley Unified District (4474) meeting transcript that athletic directors oversee scheduling, transportation, officials and serve as the central communicator for coaches, parents and students, and he urged athletes to prioritize schoolwork.

Clark said the role covers “all sports” and requires coordinating game schedules, buses and officials while also monitoring student grades. “I'm the center of communication for coaches, parents, students,” he said.

The statement framed the athletic director as responsible for program-wide logistics and student oversight rather than work limited to a single sport. Clark contrasted the role with coaching, saying a coach can “literally focus solely on basketball,” while an athletic director must manage multiple teams and operational details across the program.

Clark also recounted a personal experience to emphasize his point about academics. “My own personal experience in high school ... I put so much energy and effort into being an athlete that I didn't put as much focus into the school. And I didn't realize the importance of being a student,” he said, adding that the lack of academic focus contributed to a period of depression. He said that is why he tells students to be “student athletes first.”

He described skills developed in sports—teamwork, showing up, and work ethic—as transferable to employment, and said the expectation for students is to meet classroom responsibilities in addition to athletic requirements.

No formal action or vote related to Clark's remarks appears in the transcript.