SOUTHWICK – There’s a new sheriff in town.
Call him the gatekeeper, the head honcho, or whatnot, but new Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional High School athletic director Dave Sanschagrin would rather be seen just as your average Joe.
That might not be quite the apt description he might be seeking to describe himself, but Sanschagrin is willing to remain in the background if that’s what it takes to get the job done.
More than likely though, Sanschagrin will be front and center with his coaching staffs and the athletes residing among the student body.
DAVE SANSCHAGRIN
Southwick HS Athletic Director
“I see myself as a facilitator, a communicator,” Sanschagrin said. “I’m here to make sure our coaches and players have everything they need to be successful.”
Sanschagrin will be responsible for making sure that rules, regulations, and policies are enforced; oversee team schedules, reporting wins and losses, while maintaining bus schedules, and keeping everyone abreast of any changes with regards to inclement weather.
Sanschagrin, 43, an Agawam resident, was an assistant athletic director at Granby High School from October 2017 to October 2018.
As a longtime hockey official, having served a role in that position for 27 years at the youth and high school levels all the way up to college and semi-pro, Sanschagrin is extremely happy that his start coincides with Southwick’s inaugural boys ice hockey season.
“Hockey passion is personified in hockey with players and their parents as a way of life,” Sanschagrin said. “Hopefully something like this will be another way of keeping our students interested in coming to school while looking forward to hockey after. That is a win.”
By adding varsity hockey at Southwick, the sports program continues to grow in a positive way.
“There are a lot of opportunities for student-athletes today,” Sanschagrin said. “Some students may be overwhelmed with the choices. They might say ‘If I play high school sports, what am I missing?’ There are a lot of opportunities.”
The new athletic director knows first-hand the benefits of sports participation.
“I have literally been involved in sports since five years old,” said Sanschagrin, who later went on to coach some 60 teams over a span of 20 years. “I want to give back what was given to me.”
Sanschagrin said he plans to grow Southwick sports presence on various social media platforms to show everyone just what they may be missing by not playing a sport for the Rams, and just how special each of these students are.
