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After the retirement of Scott McKenzie last spring, Powell High School has a new, yet familiar face in the activities/athletic director role as long-time Powell Middle School Spanish teacher Richard …
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After the retirement of Scott McKenzie last spring, Powell High School has a new, yet familiar face in the activities/athletic director role as long-time Powell Middle School Spanish teacher Richard Despain has stepped into the position.
Despain has spent more than 20 years in the Powell School District, having duties as both a teacher and football coach throughout his career. He even served as head coach for the Rocky Mountain program while still teaching Spanish at Powell Middle, a coaching position he left after last season to be able to do the AD job.
“I am very excited for the opportunity to work with kids and coaches at the high school,” Despain said. “I’ll miss being in the classroom and working directly with kids in that setting, but I am very excited to continue to work with, and for the kids at PHS as they pursue their passions through athletics, the arts and activities.”
Despain said he wants to give all programs the opportunity to be successful at the high school, but understands that the needs of each program are different.
He said that he sees his job primarily as helping coaches and sponsors make sure they have access to what they need as well as helping them spend their time in the most effective manner possible.
“I want to help ensure that sponsors and coaches can concentrate on their coaching and teaching, taking as much stress off of them as possible,” Despain said.
One of the things that he learned early on was the importance of having good people around him to help him learn the position.
“I can’t thank coach McKenzie enough for the work he did last spring and in the summer to make my transition as smooth as possible, and for the help he continues to offer,” Despain said. “The administration and Mrs. [Vickie] Walsh have been terrific in getting me started and pointing me in the right direction as we have gotten the year started.”
He said that over the summer and into the start of the school year he met with coaches and sponsors from various sports, especially the fall ones as those seasons kick into high gear first.
Despain is excited for the future of athletics and activities at the high school.
“There are a lot of opportunities for the youth in PHS to enhance their education and follow their passions and interests outside the classroom, and I look forward to being a part of those and supporting those activities in the future,” Despain said.
