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A full plate awaits the county's next AD

By STEVE LEE
Published July 12, 2006

LAND O'LAKES - Outgoing athletic director Kit Broadbelt has donned numerous hats during a 30-year tenure in the Pasco County school system.

Like predecessors Jim Valentine and Jim Davis, Broadbelt never got to work solely as a full-time AD. Additional roles for that trio included administrative positions in other departments.

It may remain that way.

Davis, now the district's assistant superintendent, said there is no deadline to hire a replacement and, at this point, the duties are indefinite.

"We're still trying to determine how we're going to replace Kit," Davis said. "His was in a unique position where he served several roles for us."

Though the ideal scenario would be to have an AD in place before school starts Aug. 8, a job description has yet to be posted on the school district's Web site.

Broadbelt, 60, has been the county AD for 10 of the past 12 years. Plus, he was a Land O'Lakes assistant principal and supervisor of adult education at Land O'Lakes and Pasco high schools only in the summer. In the past, he also headed up driver's education, physical education and ROTC programs.

"At the end, we took some of those responsibilities away," Davis said, adding Broadbelt "had that keen interest in all aspects of athletics."

With the various duties, Broadbelt was asked if at times he felt overwhelmed.

"Everybody can make a case for that, but you just do the best job you can," he said.

Aware of the additional administrative responsibilities when former superintendent Thomas Weightman hired him in 1994, Broadbelt welcomed the chance to become the county's third AD.

"I would have taken the position anyway because I wanted to do the athletics," Broadbelt said.

Broadbelt did not mention names, but said his successor "would depend on how much a person wants to get involved."

Involvement was Broadbelt's forte, especially when it came to athletics. He spent many evenings at varsity, junior varsity and middle school competitions. Having an understanding wife, Teri, helped, he said.

"He was one person that during a playoff game you knew was going to be there," said Vicky King, who has coached soccer at Land O'Lakes for 19 seasons.

Added Mitchell football coach Scott Schmitz: "I'm going to miss him a lot. To me, he's just been supportive."

Broadbelt has been innovative as well, initiating recognition programs for coaches and student-athletes and sportsmanship; being a proponent for gender equity by pushing for middle school girls soccer and lights for softball fields; and authoring an endorsement program for adjunct coaches.

"I always thought Kit was one of the most highly professional and caring individuals," said Chip Wichmanowski, executive director for the Pasco Education Foundation.

"He really cares about the kids. While you want a winning program, it was more important to develop the student-athlete as a sportsman, to develop them as a human being."

Broadbelt, who plans to leave before school starts, said he will assist the Florida High School Athletic Association's compliance department on an as-needed basis.

When Broadbelt became AD, there were seven middle schools and seven high schools in the county. This school year there will be 10 high schools (excluding Bishop McLaughlin, a private secondary school) and 13 middle schools.

That expansion is among the chief reasons some feel the county AD should be a full-time position.

"With the number of schools that we have I think we should have a full-time AD," Schmitz said.

"I think that made Kit's job tougher. To be able to do the job he did, he should be commended."

[Last modified July 12, 2006, 00:07:24]