AD proud of Carlynton’s efforts to complete successful, safe fall sports season

By: Don Rebel
Saturday, November 28, 2020 | 11:01 AM

Nathan Milsom has climbed the ladder at Carlynton as he prepares for the winter season of his ninth year as district athletic director.

He started as a substitute teacher in the school district in 2005 and in the next 16 years, he has been a teacher, coach and AD. He is in his 15th year as the Cougars head coach in track and field as well.

In this unique and historic period of time, Milson took time for a Q&A.

What makes a good athletic director?

Passion, organization, communication. I think that you have to have passion for athletics and kids and want to see them succeed. Additionally, I think that when hiring coaches, you have to look for that as well and make sure they are the right fit. With so many moving parts, especially with what is going on right now, you need to stay organized and on top of daily tasks. Communication is so important, whether it is communicating to administration or to kids and/or parents or other schools, you need to always communicate to make sure everyone is on the same page.

What are some of your responsibilities that people might not know about?

In addition to being the AD and head track and field coach, I serve as dean of students/in-school suspension supervisor. This is a tremendous opportunity for us to get kids involved in the athletic programs in one way or another. We bring kids in and see that their involvement in something and the ability to take pride in something improves the entire school community. A large percentage of our student body is involved in our program in some way, whether it is a manager/statistician or a rostered participant. We offer pretty much every sport possible, so we are able to find something for every kid that walks the halls. Athletics are a great way to keep kids out of trouble and involved, and we take pride in showing the kids that we care about their character and want them to strive for excellence in everything they do.

What were the biggest hurdles in having this past fall season in a pandemic environment?

I would have to say going day by day not knowing what was going to come of this pandemic. Our staff and district had a great plan in place, so I knew that if we followed it, we would not have any issues, but it was always in the back of my mind that something could come up.

What are you most proud of in getting the Cougars fall teams through this unique season?

I am proud to say that we did not have to shut any team down and that every fall sport was able to start and complete their entire schedule. Much credit goes to our trainer and coaches for following through with our plan and doing everything in their power to make sure the kids were able to compete.

Are you optimistic about making it through the winter sports season?

I am optimistic, but not as much as I was in the fall. With cases continually on the rise, it makes me wonder how we are going to make it happen. When we had our winter coaches meeting last week, we talked about how it was up to the kids and the coaches on if they wanted to be able to compete or not and used the fall season as an example. There are decisions that everyone is going to have to make, and we want to make sure we are all putting the team and their safety first.

Besides being indoors, are there any other different challenges you see for winter sports that wasn’t a concern for fall sports?

Only that the cases are much higher now, and we will have more close contact sports indoors. We have a plan in place that we feel is best to protect the kids, so all we can do is take it one day at a time.

Both the Cougars boys and girls basketball teams enjoyed great success into the state basketball playoffs last year. If the season goes on, do you expect both programs to continue their successful ways?

Last winter was great for our basketball programs and their run in the state playoffs, and I think that has now become the standard here. There is a different vibe around both programs now, and I do not think either program will settle for anything less than what was accomplished last year. We have a great tradition of girls basketball here, and that bar was set high years ago, but now with the boys success and the mark last year’s team put on the program, it should be fun for years to come.

Tags: Carlynton