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Meet Hilton Head High's Lew Kent

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The busier, the better.

If there's one thing Lew Kent has learned about his new job as athletics director at Hilton Head Island High School already, it's just that.

With the success of the Seahawks fall sports teams, his schedule couldn't have been much more crowded in his first sports season. Hilton Head High had four teams competing for state championships on Saturday, two of which walked away with titles -- the girls cross country team and the girls tennis team. Kent was on-hand for both events.

The schedule juggling for numerous sports is somewhat of a new transition for Kent, who previously was a college baseball coach, and one to which he hasn't had much time to adjust.

Now, he's looking on to the winter sports season. But before he does that, the Island Packet sat down with Kent to discuss his transition from a baseball coach to his new post as an athletics director.

Question: How are you settling into this job?

Answer: I had to start out running. The first thing I had to do was take a crash course on the (S.C.) High School League rules. Organization is tough. I feel like it's hard to satisfy everybody's needs, including my family. I'm always running. It's a wide scope of things, which can be a good part. My day is never the same, and it goes by like that. And I fly by the seat of my pants sometimes.

Q: How have you helped get yourself organized more quickly?

A: Well, you can see the big planner I have on the wall here. I actually ordered that way back in July or August. It took awhile to get in and then it took awhile to set up. .. It's just easier for me to come in the morning and look up there and say, "What do I have today? What do I have tomorrow?"

Q: Has such a successful fall sports season made things any easier?

A: We had a fantastic fall sports season with all of our sports. It's very positive. It certainly has made it easier.

Q: What was your travel schedule like last weekend with four teams competing for state championships on Saturday?

A: Well I got to all of them. We had the football game that was late Friday night. Then I got up real early Saturday morning. But you don't mind it. You're going up there to support kids in your program. It was a good thing. I got to the cross country meet, and from there I went to tennis. I saw the majority of that. And from there, I went to the volleyball.

Q: With baseball coaching serving as your primary background, how is it different now being involved in every sport on a yearly basis?

A: Well, I didn't coach any other sport in college, but I shared office space with lacrosse, cross country and tennis. And we had to work together sharing facilities and throwing ideas off each other. So we got to know each other and each other's sports. Of course, with the big spectator sports of football and basketball, I'm familiar with those as well.

Q: Do you miss coaching and having that one-on-one instruction with the players?

A: I do. That's one of the things about this particular job. I don't have the day-to-day interaction with the kids. It's very limited to what I'm used to. I still have some, but it's my job to approach them. They're not reporting to me. I do miss that.

Q: What's been the best transition about this job?

A: I like to be able to look at the big picture. When I was a baseball coach, I was advocating for more money for my team. And that's what you're supposed to do. It's nice to be on the other side of that and be able to look at the whole thing and see what actually is fair and just.

Q: Obviously we're going to see a new academic policy put into effect for the second semester. Are you placing a high emphasis on academic development?

A: We want to make sure our athletes are getting what they need academically. That's what means more than a ring or a trophy. We want to prepare each student for success beyond high school. For some, it will be in athletics, but for most it won't be in athletics. And we have to account for that.

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