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Athletics director outlines facilities upgrades, mental‑performance coach and PBA rules
Summary
Warren Central athletic director Derek Moyer and assistant athletic director Lauren Hughes briefed the board on new turf and track timelines, eight new coaches hired, a contracted mental performance coach, and district guidance for high-school PBA/NIL activity (48‑hour reporting and restrictions on using school uniforms/facilities).
Derek Moyer, Warren Central’s athletics director, told the MSD Warren Township school board the department has completed a planning reset focused on student‑athlete welfare and shared specifics on facilities and staffing ahead of the fall season.
Moyer said turf for the football field was due to be delivered the week after the meeting and that a new track surface was scheduled to be installed later in the month. "Turf should be rolling in next Monday," he said, and staff expect associated work to follow on schedule.
Moyer and Lauren Hughes, elevated to assistant athletic director, said the department hired eight new coaches and will expand JV and C‑game opportunities so more athletes have playing time. They also highlighted the department’s emphasis on sportsmanship and academics: athletic teams reported exemplary sportsmanship scores and dozens of student‑athletes ranked in the top 30 of their class.
On student name/image/likeness arrangements — the IHSA term PBA — Hughes said the district will provide informational pages and required reporting. "Any student that gets a PBA contract, they have to report it to us within...48 hours," she said. Hughes added the district will act as a liaison and that students cannot use district uniforms or branded facilities for personal branding unless they follow the same rental process as any outside organizer.
Moyer described a mental‑performance coaching contract with Austin Halcomb — a certified mental health and performance coach who meets with student‑athletes and works with coaches — and said the district pays for that service from its athletic funds. "Whether he helps one kid or all the kids, it’s 100% worth it," Moyer said.
The athletics update also previewed the school hosting several conference and county meets next year and noted that turf and track work is intended to enhance scheduling for those events. No board action was requested at the July meeting on staffing or facility expenditures; several board members thanked the athletics staff for the presentation and for adding academic and mental‑health supports.
