By Lawrence Philips

Being the athletic director in Central Islip is grueling, as it is in all Suffolk County school districts. Being responsible for physical education, health, health services, the wellness committee, various grants, social media, among other things, leaves for little down time; as one can attest by watching me play golf. That being said, 12 hour days pass in a blink of an eye.

Central Islip is the single best place to be an athletic director, partly because I have been part of the Central Islip family for over 45 years. I attended the CI public schools my entire life and graduated from Central Islip High School in 1985. However, the student-athletes are the primary reason I am so blessed and look forward to work each and every day.

The athletic program in the Central Islip School District has produced many All-American and All-State student-athletes throughout the years. Many professional athletes and Olympians have also been Central Islip graduates. It is our practice of turning out well-rounded student athletes that we are most proud of.

When it is time for the annual Student-Athletes as Reading Partners jaunt, the “star” athletes are the first to volunteer. When it is time to gather volunteers for our highly successful Wellness Fair, again the student-athletes step up and lead by example. The student-athletes have high GPA’s, and graduation rates and college acceptances that far exceed the general student body. In spite of this, the best thing about the student-athletes in Central Islip is their ability to be humble, polite and thankful.

The responsibilities of being an athletic director are often overwhelming. I continue to be amazed every single day with the level of collaboration that takes place with every single athletic director in the county, their staffs and the Section XI office. Central Islip’s new and top of the line athletic facilities would not be possible without the help of my Section XI colleagues. The same holds true for our academic eligibility policy, our commitment to sportsmanship, our Sports Hall of Fame, our Booster Club, the college recruiting process, you get the picture. I can send one email to my AD colleagues and receive 30 spot-on responses within minutes.

As athletic directors we are expected to give back, not only to our school districts, but to interscholastic athletics throughout Section XI. It is extremely time consuming being the Section XI bowling chairperson, as well as sitting on the Section XI placement, modified, technology, constitution and awards committees; yet the personal sense of gratification of working closely with the best educators in Suffolk County and playing a role in what is arguably the most important educational experience a student can have makes the extra hours all worth it.

Helping student-athletes take advantage of opportunities, especially student-athletes in Central Islip, is the biggest ego boost one can imagine. Playing a role, however small it may be, in having our QB play at Brown and having our tackle play at Ohio State is very gratifying. What is even more rewarding is having the student-athletes, those who will not play at the next level, meander into my office with their college acceptance letters, with wide grins on their face, and give me a fist bump, hug and thank you. Being athletic director in Central Islip is a blessing, one I never take for granted.

Lawrence S. Philips is Director of Physical Education, Health, Athletics & Health Services for the Central Islip Union Free School District