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Petroski tabbed as Athletic Director of the Year - Oconee Enterprise
The Georgia Athletic Directors Association has named Athens Academy Athletic Director Kevin Petroski the Class A Athletic Director of the Year.
“It’s a tremendous honor,” Petroski said. “Any time you’re peers select you for any type of recognition it’s very much appreciated.”
The position of athletic director can be executed in many different ways. It can be Laissez-faire. Some athletic directors choose to operate from the shadows, making calls from their offices and sitting in the press boxed of sporting events.
Some get down in the dirt and take their hands and smear their influence over multiple programs throughout the athletic department. Petroski acts as both. He is hands on, but he also is hands off. Petroski values building relationships with other area athletic directors to improve the environment at Athens Academy.
“I’ve made an effort to try to find ways for community involvement amongst our area schools,” Petroski said. “Things like building relationships with the athletic directors and working to do things for middle school sports as far as high school sports as far as the all star basketball game, we do a coach’s social before the year. All the other ADs are involved with this as well. Those are just things that I have really focused on trying to make sure that way that we can support our coaches and also promote what we’re trying to accomplish at Athens Academy and in the surrounding schools.”
If there is something taking place related that is athletics related with Athens Academy involved, Petroski is there. The school offers 20 varsity teams. Petroski makes an effort to be there to support all 20 as well as the middle school programs.
Looking down the Athens Academy Athletics’ Instagram page one can find videos of postgame interviews conducted by Petroski.
It’s Petroski’s way of remaining involved with the student-athletes of Athens Academy. Petroski is a coach at heart. Before focusing solely on the administrative side of athletics Petroski spent 20 plus years as a coach. Admittedly, he misses the hands on part of the job.
“That’s been the toughest part, trying to get to know student-athletes the best I can,” Petroski said. “Sometimes I get to know them through what the coaches share with me more so than I do with interacting with them. I’m not around them as much. My office is on the other side of campus so I don’t see them day in and day out a lot times. I just want them to know that I do support them and that’s why I attend a lot of the events and congratulate them and supporting them when things don’t go well. I think that’s important.”
Coaches at Athens Academy appreciate the luxury of having an athletic director that promotes, supports and allows the coaches their freedom to operate.
“He does a great job, he works tirelessly for our kids, our community and all of our athletes,” Athens Academy head football coach Josh Alexander said. “He really does a great job promoting our school whether it be through social media or in other ways. He does a great job communicating with our parents and making sure that they have a voice in our athletics... He does a lot on gameday. From parking spaces to concession stands all the way to getting people in and out safely... He does a really good job of keeping the kids and the school first, which is very important to me. He’s always going to do the right thing. He’s never going to do what’s in the interest of Kevin.”
Athens Academy
Athens Academy is an independent, co-educational school for students in K3 through 12th grade, located on a beautiful 152-acre campus in Northeast Georgia. For over 50 years, Athens Academy has pursued its mission of Excellence with Honor through academics, athletics, fine arts, and service and leadership.
