This year Baldwin High School has welcomed a new Athletic Director, Dayton Valentine. Valentine is an alumni from BHS where he played football. Now he is giving back to BHS athletics with all he has.
“I’m looking forward to having someone I grew up with and had the opportunity to play sports with,” assistant football coach Jesse Austin said “I think he will be able to relate with a lot of things and I know his heart will always want to do the right thing for Baldwin and our kids, because he’s a Baldwin guy. Another person in our district that can say he’s Baldwin Built and understands what kind of culture we are building/upholding for our students.”
The homecoming that Valentine had when he decided to come back to Baldwin City helped influence his decision in coming here.
“Part of wanting to be the Athletic Director at Baldwin for me is because Baldwin is a special place,” Valentine said. “I’m from here and also I think sports are a big part of my life. Coming back to Baldwin is kind of special and the fact there is a homecoming.”
Previously, Valentine coached at Blue Valley Southwest where he was a football coach who was in charge of offense and special teams.
“Being athletic director is a cool opportunity to kind of oversee all sports and having a hand in helping a number of programs where as previously I was just coaching and it was just that sport,” Valentine said. “So to help more people, and more student-athletes I think was what was attractive about being Athletic Director.”
Valentine has big plans for the future of activities and plans on advancing programs the best he can for the future.
“I think there are a number of things that we can do just to help out. So I think different things like social media, I think this year I have given coaches access to an easier way to make graphics,” Valentine said. “I plan on doing a media day for each season to let kids have fun and showcase all sports, and then other things like new ideas in terms like budgeting, and how to get programs the things they need, and so I think there are a number of little things starting in the future. Then later to other things like improving facilities.”