ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

There are a couple new faces in the Liberal High School athletics office, and Kellen Jackson is one of them in the role of the new assistant athletic director.

As Jackson tells it, he is no stranger to the world of school athletics.

“I’m originally from Kansas City, and I’ve got about 15 years of just coaching and administrative background. I’ve run my own basketball program since about 2013, and I’ve coached kids from fourth grade to college, and the goal of our program is to give the children life skills to win on the court and off the court,” Jackson said “Having the opportunity to transition some of that work experience to LHS and do it at a larger scale involving like all of the athletes, I feel like just kind of gave me a little bit more reach. I’ve been in Kansas City for a while, so I felt like I could grow a little bit outside my comfort zone some here in Liberal. When Chad [Friess] told me about the opportunity, I was pretty eager to hear more about the job, and he said he was bringing in a really good team of people, so I thought that I would be a good fit. I gave it a shot, and here I am.”

Jackson said it was a rather easy decision to go ahead and apply for the position.

“For me, it was pretty short notice. Chad had reached out and he had already interviewed some people. We were actually kind of rival coaches in Kansas City – our schools were in the same conference and we played each other about three times a year,” Jackson said. “He kind of knew about my background and kind of my program, and I did try to get him involved in some of that while he was in Kansas City as well. He told me the position was open and he thought that I might be a good fit, so I considered it. I talked it over with my wife and we knew it would be a stretch because we have a blended family, but once we came together, it seemed to make more sense. We saw the position was available and how I’d be able to see how what I was doing currently with my program directly translated to the position to me. Like I said, it seemed like a good fit. I wanted to get behind the scenes of high school sports and get a better lay of the land. I thought it would be a fun experience, and it’s a different kind of dynamic than coaching, and also being able to help you know with the coaches and the students was a plus.”

Jackson said he was excited to officially be offered the position.

“I was pretty excited, I think it’ll be a great chance to grow with the new teams and learn and be a part of the district and have that leadership position and be a support system for the coaches,” Jackson said. “I was ready to get going and learn things and get started, so I was definitely excited when I got the word.”

Jackson said he is excited to see the fall athletics season fully get going.

“I’m excited. Physicals are just about over with, and that’s a lot of paperwork, which was a good introduction to week one,” Jackson said. “But I’m excited to get started with games and everything else. The Redskin Rumble was a lot of fun to experience, and I’m excited to get ready for the first home games and see how the athletes perform. I’m also looking forward to hearing some feedback from the coaches and seeing how we can help them and help the kids and get fall sports really under way.”

Jackson said his first weeks in his new role have been pretty smooth.

“Chad’s done a really good job setting the vision and the direction of LHS athletics, and I think he did a really good job kind of making our roles and responsibilities really clear, so it makes it easier for us as a team to make sure nothing gets through the cracks in the schedule and are able to kind of work within each other and support each other,” Jackson said. “That’s been really good, and I think that’s helped me learn and feel more confident in what I’m doing. Cynthia has done a really good job helping me with a lot of the paperwork and stuff like that, and I’ve been able to help her out where I can. I’m really excited to get this first year under way. I know there’s been a lot of transition in the athletics and activities departments, so I’m ready to get after it.”

Overall, Jackson said, he is excited for his new role.

“Every activity is important, and every student is important. A big source of motivation and inspiration is when the students see there are people behind them and supporting what they’re doing,” Jackson said. “Being there is really important for the students, and it’s important to show them they’re important and so is the work they’re doing in their activity, whether it be volleyball or basketball or band or drama. Each of those activities deserves community support, and the students are so much happier and more motivated when they know they’ve got a support system behind them. Extracurricular activities help them in so many ways these students don’t even realize. It helps them spread their wings and find an interest, and for a lot of students, their activity helps them gain a lot of self-confidence along with leadership skills and communication skills. Being part of extracurricular activities also helps with college admissions, and these activities also help these students be more well-rounded and help them gain more experience. The overall experience of extracurriculars goes so deep and wide, they can really help create great foundations for the future.”