Klahowya athletic director Winters stepping down
Todd Winters is ready to return to the classroom after 13 years as the Eagles' AD.
Klahowya athletic director Winters stepping down Todd Winters is ready to return to the classroom after 13 years as the Eagles' AD. Check out this story on kitsapsun.com: https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/sports/high-school/2019/03/15/klahowya-athletic-director-todd-winters-stepping-down/3181777002/
Jeff Graham, Kitsap Sun Published 6:00 p.m. PT March 15, 2019 | Updated 6:02 p.m. PT March 15, 2019
Klahowya Secondary School went from needing to make one important sports hire to needing to make two.
Todd Winters, the Eagles' athletic director for the past 13 years, confirmed Friday that he is stepping down at the end of the 2018-19 school year in order to return to teaching. He was originally hired as a teacher when Klahowya opened its doors in 1997 and served in several coaching capacities before becoming athletic director in 2006.
"I went into education because of love for working with kids," said Winters, who'll spend the next couple weeks lining up interviews for Klahowya's vacant football coaching position. "I want to get back in the classroom."
Todd Winters (Photo: Jeff Graham / Kitsap Sun)
As someone who beat colon cancer nearly 10 years ago, the 53-year-old Winters said opting for a career "reset" at this point in his life was a difficult decision to make, but a necessary one.
Winters hopes to remain working for at least another decade, and when he sat down to consider what he wanted to accomplish over the final stretch of his career in education, being athletic director wasn't part of the equation.
Between hiring coaches, filling out schedules, lining up officials and serving as the main contact for sport team personnel, Winters said the athletic director job is a demanding one, but it could also be lonely. School days often included early mornings and late nights at the school — and plenty of time away from his family.
"I don't want to work all the time," said Winters, who sometimes works 12-16 hours a day during busy sports nights during the school year.
Winters said the athletic director position at all three Central Kitsap School District high schools — Central Kitsap, Olympic and Klahowya — will be transitioning to more of an administrator-type role beginning in the 2019-20 school year. The role will include athletic facility oversight.
Winters said the alteration in job description isn't the reason he wants to step aside. It's more of a desire to transition to a role requiring less of a time commitment. He looks forward to working with teenagers as students and not simply as athletes.
"I loved being around sports," Winters said. "It's just a different perspective."
Longtime Klahowya teacher and soccer coach Troy Oelschlager said Winters will be missed.
"He's been a great AD," Oelschlager said. "He's really supportive of all the coaches and works his butt off."
Dan Ericson, who resigned from his role as Klahowya football coach in January to take the same job at South Kitsap and who'll be leaving his position as dean of students at the end of the school year, feels Winters gave all he had during his time as athletic director.
"Unbelievable job," Ericson said. "I don't think people realize how much (athletic directors) are are the school. It's a service job. ... Todd's a really good guy, good man. He gets to come full circle."
Winters said he plans to stay involved in the Klahowya community and said he'll considering returning to coaching in the future.
"I'm going to be around.
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