Local Fishing Towns Face Tough Decisions About Their Athletic Director Hunt!
Fishers is investing more than $3 million for improvements to athletic fields and is creating a unique position to coordinate youth athletics.
The City of Fishers is investing more than $3 million for improvements to athletic fields at its high schools and is using city tax dollars to create a unique position to coordinate youth athletics. An interlocal agreement between the city and Hamilton Southeastern Schools creates a new administration-level position to implement a citywide strategy for youth athletics and manage all athletic fields, from facilities used by high school students to those used by younger athletes in the city with Mudsock Youth Athletics . Hamilton Southeastern High School Athletic Director Jim Self will take on the role of city and school district athletic director and will receive a salary of $130,000, paid for with city dollars.
HSE will continue to cover the cost of his benefits. In the new position, Self is expected to strengthen coordination between the city, the school district and local sports organizations while helping maximize the use of athletic facilities throughout the community, according to a news release from the city. Self has been the athletic director at Hamilton Southeastern High School for 26 years.
“We have two high schools, four junior highs and Mudsock Youth Athletics, and we want to build strong feeder systems for both high schools,” Self told IndyStar. “We have that now but have the ability to do it at an even greater level with the new position. ” It’s not uncommon for school districts with multiple high schools to have a district-wide athletic director, but he hasn’t heard of a city and school district teaming up to hire one that’s citywide, Self said.
“A lot of people have reached out interested in the job description because they think we're on to something here,” Self said. More news: HSE school board appoints interim superintendent According to the interlocal agreement between the city and school district, Self will oversee athletic leadership and programs, governance and compliance, sponsorship and revenue generating, student athlete wellbeing and inclusion, scheduling of uses for sports facilities and align youth sports with school-based sports in the city. Better alignment between the schools and youth sports programs will keep Fishers an attractive place for families to live and benefit the whole city, Self told IndyStar.