New Dexter athletic director to focus on professional development, athletics branding
A new athletic director started Wednesday at Dexter Community Schools, according to a report in the Dexter Leader.
Darren Kecskes, a Dearborn native, was hired at a salary of $50,000 to head up the district’s athletics department. He was chosen from a pool of 187 applicants, the Leader article said.
Kecskes told the newspaper two areas he intends to focus on are continuing education for coaches through professional development and making Dexter’s brand more “identifiable.”
The athletics director position was recreated in June, when the administration decided once again to separate its athletics and community services departments, saving the district an estimated $15,000 to $20,000.
Dexter’s former athletic director, Brett Steele, resigned in April after six months on the job because he disagreed with district’s vision to maintain a joint athletics and community services department, according to a previous report.
Read the complete Dexter Leader report about Kecskes here.
Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.
Comments
Laura Jones
Mon, Aug 6, 2012 : 3:27 a.m.
We don't need to have a Dexter Brand in athletics - completely the wrong focus. We need to find a way to increase sports participation for all students in Dexter to further their achievement and growth. Frankly, I am concerned about this new attitude when viewed in the light of the ridiculous proposed pay to play fee's. Chelsea is talking about lowering their fees after seeing a significant drop in participation and their fee's are less than half the proposed one's for Dexter. Focus on this would be far better.
Charley Sullivan
Sat, Aug 4, 2012 : 9:22 a.m.
So, as a college coach, I wonder what a high school "brand" here would look like? Focus on ethics and performance, not because it's a brand, but because it's what high school athletics should teach, and your reputation (the good old fashioned term for a brand) will take care of itself. Focus on pay-to-play becoming more accessible, and again, you'll get a good reputation. But branding? Please, try to leave corporate approaches out of it. They already are choking athletics the next level up.
RIchard Jackson
Sat, Aug 4, 2012 : 2:10 a.m.
Ive already met Mr K and he is all about the kids - he is stuck with the pay to play and is trying to bring us all together under the same logo and color thats what branding is...and we arent a small town school, we are 1200 or so students and successful and we need to build on that and not be "small town" He seems like a great guy and he is in a difficult situation given the past and the late start. i look forward to the great future with Mr. Kecskes here at Dexter.
Dog Guy
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 11:23 p.m.
Is Darren Kecskes going to brand the equipment to prevent loss or the players to instill team spirit or is he going to brand both the equipment and the players?
Barbara Read
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 11:10 p.m.
I think one of the biggest issues facing Dexter athletics right now is the new higher pay to participate fees. I would like to see the new athletic director make sure that kids don't get priced out of middle school and high school sports. Raising the fees so much at once is a real gamble, and I'm not sure what the rush is. It's possible that there will be a decline in participation when the new fee schedule (a two and a half times increase) hits families in Dexter. That would be a shame. Our family has really enjoyed the Dexter HIgh School sports program and the wonderful coaches. Perhaps the best thing to come from athletics are the solid friendships--I wouldn't want a student to miss those things because of the fees.
tom swift jr.
Fri, Aug 3, 2012 : 10:20 p.m.
"Dexter's brand" What does that equate to as regards small town athletics? I thought a "brand" was something you sold, something you developed for profit. I would hope that taking a dwindling budget and making sure that all kids had an opportunity to benefit from sports programs, would have been the ideal goal for a small school athletic director. Darren, if you're reading this, could you expand on that statement?