Poggi has been the district’s AD since 2011 and recently spoke at a national conference about curbing sports specialization. He himself was a four-sport athlete – football, soccer, basketball and baseball – during his own high school career.
Q: What has been your journey in education?
A: I earned a Bachelors of Science in health and sports studies from Miami University in 1998 and became a certified athletic administrator by the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association in December 2012.
I began my career as the assistant athletic director for Kings Local School District in 1998 before being named associate director of athletics in 2000. From 2002 to 2008 I served as the director of marketing and operations for Specialtee Events Ltd., working with the Anthony Munoz Foundation and Procamps Worldwide. I was named the Aiken High School AD in 2009, before coming to Kings as AD in 2011.
Q: How does it feel to be recognized as the Athletic Director of the Year?
A: It’s simply humbling. To look at the list of past athletic directors who have won this award, people that I have admired and looked up to, and to know that my name will be added to that list, is amazing. This award is voted on by my colleagues in Southwest Ohio, so even being nominated by someone was a true a blessing, yet to actually win was an unbelievable feeling and honor.
Q: What does an athletic director do?
A: As the athletic director I am in charge of all interscholastic athletic programs for grades seven-12 in the Kings Local School District. This includes 29 varsity sport programs, which consist of 61 total teams at the high school level, and an additional 30 teams at the junior high level.
Q: How did you decide to become an athletic director?
A: I knew from an early age that I wanted to be involved in sports. At first I thought I wanted to go the collegiate route, but then I feel in love with coaching, so naturally, I pursued a teaching degree in physical education. However, it was the summer after my sophomore year at Miami when I began an internship with the new athletic director at Kings, Gregg Darbyshire, that I figured out one day I wanted to become an AD.
Q: How do sports and education relate?
A: In regards to education, we believe that all our sports programs are true extensions of the educational classrooms here at Kings. We attempt to get both our coaches and student-athletes to buy into that philosophy on a daily basis and use this as a guiding principal for our programs.
Q: What do you enjoy most about being an AD?
A: I enjoy working on a daily basis with our student-athletes to achieve their educational and athletic goals, as well working behind the scenes with our coaches to help them build the best programs possible.
Q: What are the biggest challenges?
A: My biggest challenge is time spent away from my wife, Danielle, and two kids, Grace and Grant. This position does require numerous hours spent here on our campus and at games or events. Thankfully, I am blessed with an amazing wife, who is very understanding of my position, and family, who are able to assist her and me on a daily basis.
Q: What are your goals for the Kings athletic department?
A: We want to partner with our education system here at Kings and provide athletic participation opportunities for our students while developing the total physical, social and emotional student, teaching them core values and life skills to help them reach their maximum potential.
Q: What are some of your professional affiliations and recognitions?
A: Secretary of the Southwest Ohio Athletic Directors Association; exhibit chairman for the Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association; member of the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association; NIAAA National Athletic Directors Conference Presenter, 2013; 2011 SWOADA Horizon Award Winner; and 2012 OIAAA Meritorious Service Award Winner.
Q: What are some of your hobbies?
A: I enjoy reading and spending my off hours with my wife and two kids.
Q: What is a favorite memory from your career?
A: Over the past three years, being back at Kings as athletic director, I have experienced so many amazing memories that I couldn’t just name one, so I will reach back to one from my coaching days.
My father passed away on Jan. 3, 2007, and I was serving as the Junior Varsity men’s basketball coach here at Kings at the time. He, along with my mom, never missed a game, even when my brother and I began our coaching careers. We had a game that same evening he passed away at Northwest. Our team didn’t play well in the first half and went down at halftime 45-17. Needless to say, we found our groove in the second half and came back and won that game. Even though that was one of the hardest days of my life, it actually turned out to be one of the most rewarding. I have since gone back and watched that tape every Jan. 3rd since!
Q: Tell us something people may not know about you.
A: I am an elder/pastor at Rivers Crossing Community Church in Mason.
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