Just as the high school sports season is about to kick off there has been a change made in Douglas High School’s Athletic Dept.
 Bruce Whetten/Douglas Dispatch Douglas' outgoing Athletic Director Randy Walker (in back) makes sure his replacement Dan Bates (in front) is comfortable in his old chair as Bates becomes Douglas' new Athletic Director. Walker has been reassigned to a vice principal position at Douglas High School. |
Bates, who has been an athletic director before in Colorado for eight years prior to coming to Douglas, has been in the Douglas Unified School District the last five years serving as an assistant principal to former principal Bonnie Lopez who is now the assistant superintendent.
The change was made public at a school board meeting earlier this month all though rumors had been circulating around town all summer.
“I think I’m coming into a good situation here,” the new Athletic Director said. “Randy has the program running in a good direction.”
Walker is one of the longest Athletic Directors Douglas has had in quite a while lasting seven years.
“He’s kept his coaches above board; he’s kept his student athletes above board,” Bates said. “He’s held his coaches to a high standard.”
Walker, who is taking over for Dr. Earl Simmons who had been the assistant principal for curriculum at DHS, says he’s had a lot of fun being the Athletic Director.
“There are always ups and downs but we had some great success here,” he said. “It wasn’t so much me as it was the coaches and teams.”
Walker is proud of the fact the athletic program at DHS received two Academic Excellence Awards during his tenure.
“The state tournament championships are always great to have,” he said. “Those Academic Excellence Awards say your whole program is doing well. That means everybody is making tournaments; you’re getting state tournament titles as well as second and third place finishes. Everybody in general is having a real good year.”
Walker feels he’s leaving the athletic program in really good shape.
“With the reconfiguration of the state it’s going to be apples to oranges,” Walker said when comparing how Bates will perform when compared to Walker. “The format is going to be completely different than what it was for me those seven years.”
Walker says he’s very happy with what was accomplished while he was here.
Bates has worked with Walker for several years who helping him supervise numerous athletic events.
Plus his previous experience as an A.D. gives him an idea of what to expect.
“I hope as this transition goes through Dan will rely on me as much as I relied on him,” the outgoing A.D. said.
The fact the switch occurred just before school starts is going to rough on both men, Walker and Bates said but that’s the way it is right now.
“With the new administration at the high school everybody is going through this,” Bates said. “It’s hard on everybody.”
Bates is happy he’s coming into an athletic program that is looked upon quite highly by other schools around the state, especially southern Arizona.
“I want to uphold that standard,” he said. “I think the difficult part as Randy said is trying to figure out how to do that with the new A.I.A. rules. -. It’s going to be harder to make the state playoffs not on me but the coaches and players.”
Both men agree the new improvements that are currently being made to the football/soccer field are a big plus for the community.
“We’re all getting a state of the art field out of this,” Bates said.
Walker says while he brought it to the table it was the community who voted and passed the bond allowing the renovation to take place.
“It was really the community that said this is something we really want,” Walker said. “It just happened by chance the old bond was ending and we had a chance to go for the new bond.”
Walker said the new field plus the addition of the locker rooms, bathrooms and new concession stand will enhance the whole community.
“It wasn’t anything that I or anyone else,” he said. “The whole community allowed this to happen.”
Comments
To To Educate yourself.. wrote on Aug 19, 2010 10:08 PM:
hi wrote on Aug 17, 2010 12:43 PM:
vistor section wrote on Aug 16, 2010 5:20 PM:
To Educate Yourself wrote on Aug 14, 2010 10:28 PM:
Reminds Me...... wrote on Aug 12, 2010 11:24 PM:
Educate Yourselves wrote on Aug 12, 2010 7:49 PM:
To the person who said Bates was not a good AP, you must have had your kid in trouble (look in the mirror). Bates is firm, fair and consistent with all kids (mine was in trouble and he handled it correctly with a suspension). It is two jobs considering, you have attendance (which is money) and discipline (because some parents cant control their kids) and then sports administration.
I wish both men, as well as the new principal the best of luck. I have faith they will watch over my kids. "
Hey Mr. Two Jobs wrote on Aug 11, 2010 7:11 PM:
community member wrote on Aug 8, 2010 11:26 PM:
Mr. Know It All wrote on Aug 6, 2010 6:26 PM:
Two Jobs wrote on Aug 6, 2010 7:22 AM:
Easy Job wrote on Aug 5, 2010 6:19 PM: