School district now has two athletic directors BY DANIELLE MEDINA Correspondent BRICK TOWNSHIP - Two athletic directors are now splitting the district's sports workload, thanks to a new position the Board of Education recently approved. "It's an impossible task to have one athletic director for four schools," Interim Superintendent Melindo A. Persi said recently. Previously, William Bruno had been the district's sole athletic director. Bruno was reassigned to the position of Assistant Principal/Physical Education/ Athletic Director for grades 6 -12 at Brick Township Memorial High School (BMHS) and Veterans Memorial Middle School (VMMS) at the board's Oct. 18 meeting. And Richard Handchen, who had been the district's athletic coordinator and a physical education teacher at BMHS, was appointed to the position of Interim Supervisor/ Physical Education/Athletic Director for grades 6 -12 at Brick Township High School (BTHS) and Lake Riviera Middle School (LRMS). The two men will also be the supervisors of physical education at their respective schools, which fills another of the district's needs. "No one was designated as the supervisor of that department and with 10,712 children taking physical education and the emphasis on wellness, there was a fantastic void in that department," Persi said. Both positions are effective from Oct. 22 to June 30, 2008. However Handchen was appointed on an interim basis because of the immediate need in the district. Board President Brian DeLuca said that central administration would advertise the position and begin the interview process in the next few weeks. He said that he expects Handchen will apply for the job. DeLuca said that with two athletic directors, the district is returning to how it used to operate. "At one point, having one athletic director was meant to be a cost-saving method, but one person can't be in multiple places at the same time," DeLuca said. "Many people have tried to do it, but it's just too big a job for one person." DeLuca said that of the more than 600 school districts in the state, only four have one athletic director for all of their schools. Persi said that he has already met with Bruno and Handchen to establish priorities and lines of reporting within the department. The board unanimously approved the changes by a 6-0 vote. Board member Cynthia McCarthy abstained from the vote. McCarthy is Handchen's sister-in-law.