Kingswood Oxford athletics has a new face leading them through this unusual year following the departure of Athletic Director Debbie Fiske last year. Josh Balabuch has stepped in as Interim Athletic Director, and despite these unusual circumstances, he has been adjusting well.
Mr. Balabuch has spent the last four years as the assistant athletic director, and students only ever have positive things to say about him. Stepping up this year was no easy feat, having to create all-new safety protocols due to COVID-19 while also trying to manage all the fall season athletes and their never-ending questions about their season.
Mr. Balabuch has an accomplished background, with a Master’s degree in athletic administration and sports management. “The techniques and information I learned while at school has helped prepare me in unique ways,” Mr. Balabuch said. He also talked about the help from his fellow staff members in the athletic department at KO. The athletic department is a close-knit group of many staff members with over 15 years of experience at KO.
When asked about the fall season, Mr. Balabuch plans on keeping the community safe, be that on or off the field. “ I think that fall season has been a tough adjustment for the athletes and coaches alike,” Mr. Balabuch said. The department’s plan is to keep reaching out to other schools in the area to talk about their safety protocols while also slowly expanding practices throughout the whole fall season. Mr. Balabuch really stressed the importance of prioritising the safety of community members.
Planning for the fall season started as soon as Mr. Balabuch was named Interim Athletic Director. “We planned for the season by reading various articles and speaking to other athletic directors across the country,” he said. “There was a tremendous amount of research that went into finding the proper protocols to put in place for each sport.” In addition to the normal fall sports, they added different programs to help incorporate physical distance restrictions. “I worked with a lot of schools which opened before KO to find out what had been working, what issues were popping up that we could prevent before happening, and the ideas that had been working and how we could adapt them to fit Wyvern Athletics,” Mr. Balabuch said.
When asked if there was anything he wants the student body to know about him becoming athletic director, Mr. Balabuch emphasized how serious he is taking his job. He explained how he wants athletics to be an amazing experience for all and that is only possible through communication. “My door is always open to students, parents, and faculty,” he said. “I am always happy to discuss athletics and academics at KO, but even professional and college sports as well.” Mr. Balabuch hopes to get to know each student, not just athletes, as the season and year progress, and we’re excited to see all that he’ll accomplish in his new position!
