T.J. Maines Chosen as New Athletic Director
By Leo Savage
On Thursday, October 13, Thomas Maines was promoted to the position of A.D. (Athletic Director) by the school board with applause from those in attendance.
With Jon Millet stepping down as A.D., Maines has taken the mantle to coordinate Cony athletics. This move could be important for Cony, since Maines served as A.D for the Cony Middle School and has experience coaching at a college level with a passion for athletics.
Maines explains his new position as follows, “whether it’s facilities… whether it’s game management…whether it’s transportation… [the job] is just making sure that the events that kids are supposed to be at are run as smoothly as possible.”
This process of making sure the seasons run smoothly, also involves an extremely important subject: safety. Maines had a few words to say about his intentions for avoiding injury and keeping players safe.
“Whether it’s preparation stuff through the athletic trainer… (and) following concussion protocols, being on top of that… we will always be open to different avenues to keep kids safe.” Said Maines, leaving a door open for new ideas.
An interesting part of the job Maines brought attention to was his expectations for coaches moving forward.
“Hopefully they have a passion for the sport they are coaching and that they can interact with the kids in a positive and appropriate way.” Said Maines, when discussing the hiring and selection process.
One of Maine's past players, Conor Morin, had words of praise for the new A.D, “he’s the goat. Pushes you really hard to make you play hard.”
Maines’ new responsibilities will come at a cost. The varsity basketball team will need to find a new coach, and Cony has lost a US history teacher. But he didn’t pass the torch without a message to his players.
“I love the guys that I’ve coached, and that’s the hardest part…” said Maines, “I’m gonna miss them. But I‘m still gonna be around, I’m gonna be here to help them.”