Living With The Athletic Director
Guest Reporter Kaci Bachtel Reports About Dad
Dad’s Job
About a month and a half ago, the usual routine changed at the Bachtel house. My dad, Coach John Bachtel, got the new Head Football Coach and Athletic Director job. He has had much experience with coaching, though. He first worked at Bangs for two years, then China Spring two years, then Midway for five years, and after that he was the Athletic Director and Head Football Coach for four years at Bosqueville, and now he has been a coach at Fairfield for four years.
When asked about his new job, Coach Bachtel said he was excited to see what the future holds and believes it will be a good year. As the Athletic Director he has had to make some changes to his personal schedule. He now goes to every Jr. High and High School game to show his support, and oversees all the athletic programs. For athletes at the Jr. High, Coach Bachtel’s main goal is for all players to get a good foundation in the sports, learn to work hard, and develop as a team. Many people think it’s always all about winning, but my dad believes in Jr. High it’s about learning the fundamentals of the sport and getting to play, so in high school you’ll know how to play and can work on other skills to be successful. It isn’t just about winning or losing, but working as a team.
The two main messages Coach Bachtel wants to give to the Jr. High athletes are: students should become people of high character, and every student should pass all their classes. He says, “Success will come from that.”
