David Ribbens, after a year of retirement, has returned as the new interim athletics director, working alongside new assistant athletics directors Becky Chmielewski and Josh Potter. The athletics department is focused on strengthening the experience at home games and increasing the amount of lower school students who attend sports games.
Mr. Potter, a former physical education teacher and soccer coach, transitioned to his new role in May. He wanted to expand his impact on athletes beyond soccer.
“It has always been a dream of mine,” Mr. Potter said about his new position. “I’ve always admired the administrators that I’ve worked under, especially Dave Ribbens.”
As a goal for his future in this position, Mr. Potter wants to expand the athletics facilities at the school.
Mr. Potter said, “I would love to offer more facility options for our student athletes. I think one of the biggest concerns that I hear a lot from our student athletes is the constraints we have with facilities.”
The athletics department is also unveiling a new sixth grade intramural sports program following last year’s budget cuts. Ms. Chmielewski previously was Lab’s associate director of family life, and she served as interim assistant principal at the middle school and and nine years as a middle school girls basketball coach.
“We’re also piloting a sixth grade intramural program this year,” Ms. Chmielewski said. “We’re having two four-week seasons for our sixth grade sports.”
Ms. Chmielewski thought it was an opportune time for her to change roles.
“I’m just really excited for opportunities for growth and development of the athletic program and visibility of that whole program within our whole school community,” Ms. Chmielewski said.
This year, Mr. Ribbens is looking forward to increasing school spirit at home games. He has planned to bring food trucks to the Homecoming games and to increase advertising games throughout the year.
“Our goal is to offer a great quality athletic program to our students,” Mr. Ribbens said, “We want to put them on a path to be successful.”
