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Athletic director highlights state finalist baseball, MVPs and calls for more coaches and officials
Summary
Taconic Hills' athletic director presented a 2023-24 season review, noting the baseball team reached the state finals, multiple league MVPs across sports, and academic performance benchmarks. He urged recruiting more in-district coaches, funding for officials training, and efforts to boost student participation and attendance.
The Athletic Director for Taconic Hills Central School District gave the board an upbeat but practical recap of the 2023-24 school sports season, pointing to a run to the state finals for the baseball team and multiple individual honors across sports.
"I think probably in the 11 years that I've been athletic director, this is probably the most memorable," the Athletic Director said, citing the baseball team's trip to the state final and broad community support. He listed varsity golf, varsity tennis and a conference championship in track among the season's high points and said the district recorded three league MVPs in track and field plus MVPs in golf, baseball and tennis.
The director provided participation data and academic thresholds used for team eligibility: roughly 49% participation among girls in grades 7 through 12 and team-grade cutoffs tied to cumulative averages. He said 17 of 20 varsity teams met the district's academic standards and that many athletes are repeat contributors across seasons.
He also highlighted operational challenges. Transportation remains a districtwide strain that forces frequent game-time adjustments, and the district is seeing an aging and shrinking pool of paid officials: "please be thankful for who we have or else if we didn't have them, we wouldn't be able to play," he said. Pay numbers mentioned were roughly $100 for varsity officials and lower rates for modified levels; mileage is provided and pay increases annually in the region.
To address the officials shortage, the Athletic Director said the district can train juniors and seniors through an online officials program and planned to seek grant funding to pay for that training. He also urged hiring more in-district coaches to strengthen relationships with students and improve continuity, while noting that many community members currently serve as coaches.
On student engagement he said the district will pursue closer ties between PE and athletics, explore professional development for new coaches and expand team- and school-level promotion on social media to boost attendance at events.
The Athletic Director thanked the board for granting the team time off during a key state semifinal and closed by encouraging continued community support for coaches, officials and athletes.
The board heard the athletic update and had no formal objections; the presentation concluded before the superintendent's report.
