Stephanie Symens has always been a sports nut, and she loves kids, so becoming the athletic director at Britton-Hecla was kind of a natural for her.
She has been in the position for just two years but evidently it has been a good fit in light of the fact that she will be recognized as this year’s Region 1 Athletic Director of the Year at the SD InterscholasticAthleticAdministrator’s Association (SDIAAA) conference in Pierre later this month.
“Steph is an extremely organized individual, which is a quality all athletic directors must possess,” said BH Superintendent Steve Benson. “She has done a great job since taking over the position, and the fact her peers voted for her for this honor is a testament to that.”
Symens is a 1998 Britton High School graduate, participating in basketball and track and was a member of the 1998 girls basketball squad that won a district title. A graduate of South Dakota State University in 2002, Symens earned her teaching certificate from Montana State University in 2009, she taught for a year at the Aberdeen Hub Area Technical School, and has taught art at Britton-Hecla for the past 13 years. She also served as an assistant girls basketball coach, helping the Lady Braves to a pair of state tournament appearances, and has coached cross country for 10 years and track for nine seasons.
“I’m kind of a sports person and have always liked every kind of sport,” said Symens. “Because of that I always thought I would like to do the athletic director job and when it became available, I decided to apply. It’s really kind of the best of both worlds – I get to be with the kids and watch them succeed, and also to see how hard they work and then recognize that with awards.”
But there also is a whole lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to make that happen, and Symens is right in the thick of it. This winter has presented a particular challenge.
“The biggest challenge is rescheduling events. And this year has been kind of a zoo to get everything rescheduled and make sure everybody is on the same page and that we’re all talking to each other. I also continued doing a weekly calendar that Jon Anderson started, and the teachers really like that so that they know when the kids have to leave for events.”
Symens said it’s not too difficult if the event is on the road, but home contests are a different animal.
“I still teach art, so it does get a little bit chaotic at times, especially when I’m trying to teasch a lesson and all of a sudden a game gets cancelled. If it’s an away game all I have to do is let families and people know, but when it’s a home game that’s when you have to contact refs, the people working at the scorer’s table, ticket takers, and concession stand workers. I have a little checklist so I know who’s working what, and I have to keep really good notes so I don’t forget something.”
Making sure that officials are booked for home events can also be a big thing.
“The state finds referees for football games, but I have to find them for volleyball, boys and girls basketball, wrestling, gymnastics, and track,” noted Symens. “Sometimes that gets a little tricky when you have C or JV games and doubleheaders. That means four additional refs and three additional table workers for every doubleheader game. But we have great community members that are willing to help out.”
Benson said that Symens’ coaching background and her knowledge of the community are also big plusses in her position.
“Steph has been in the district for many years and has an in-depth knowledge of what it takes to be a coach and the procedures necessary to run an effective program,” Benson noted. “She is very familiar with the families and our athletes and has a positive/encouraging relationship with them.”
The bottom line is that athletics is all about kids, and that’s what is most rewarding for Symens.
“It 100% goes back to kids. We have great kids at our school and it’s fun to watch them mature from seventh graders to seniors and being a part of teaching them to be better members of society and to treat other people the way they want to be treated.”
