“High school sports are about developing people. Because not everybody goes on to play in college, but if our sports are competitive enough, then sometimes our kids have opportunities to move on to the next level if they want to.” This is a primary belief of Radnor’s new athletic director, Mr. Matthew Wicks. I recently sat down to talk with Mr. Wicks about his childhood, education, career, and goals as the new athletic director of Radnor High School (RHS).
Here is his story:
Born in Missouri and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he grew up playing sports, especially football. He had one sibling, an older sister. From a young age, he was an avid University of Alabama fan, inspired by his grandmother, and loved going to football games. Now, his youngest son is a freshman at the university. Once he unpacks, he said his office is going to be full of Alabama gear.
He attended college at Georgia Southern University, a large public institution near Savannah, Georgia.There, he studied kinesiology and health promotion, fields combining the science of human movement with enhancement of overall well-being. At Georgia Southern, he also played Division One football as an offensive lineman. During his undergraduate education, he met his wife, a health promotion major and lacrosse player. They got engaged soon after graduation and relocated to the Philadelphia suburbs shortly after, as his wife grew up in Quakertown. The couple began to raise their family, starting with their daughter, Sophia. His younger children, sons Owen and Tucker, primarily grew up in Florida as they moved there in 2007. Currently, Sophia is 25, Owen is 20, and Tucker is 18.
While he lived in the Philadelphia area, he was a football coach at both Widener University and West Chester University, while also pursuing graduate degrees. As a collegiate football coach for eight years, he became very familiar with the college recruiting process and worked closely with high school coaches. Once he moved to Florida, he advanced from being the head football coach to the athletic director at Anclote High School. From there he became the athletic director for Pasco County, a district of roughly 100,000 students, managing athletics for 15 high schools and 19 middle schools. During his time there, he focused on ensuring that every public high school in the county had an athletic trainer and improving coach retention through increased compensation. One thing Mr. Wicks mentioned was that although he loved being the county athletic director, he did not feel he was personally “making an impact at the school level,” which is something he is excited to do as a high school athletic director.
In his new role, Mr. Wicks is excited to positively influence the athletic program, specifically seeking “pockets and pieces of the athletic department” that can be improved. He also hopes to build strong relationships with athletes, coaches, and parents. Our new athletic director has been actively meeting with coaches to determine areas of need. One of his priorities is maintaining a balance between having competitive teams and wanting “every athlete or student that plays a sport at Radnor to have a good experience.”
In addition to our school-sponsored athletics, Mr. Wicks is committed to supporting our numerous club sports. He is also excited to connect with the booster clubs and wants “to make sure the right oversight is given for our booster clubs to make our programs thrive.” Every time he has the opportunity to hire a coach, Mr. Wicks aims to shape the tone of the athletic department. With three positions currently open, he plans to fill each one thoughtfully as coaches move on to new opportunities. Mr. Wicks shared that in this role, “It kind of makes [him] feel like a coach again.”
An average workday for our athletic director usually begins between 7:30 and 8 am. During the school day, he attends various meetings, including working with RHS principal, Dr. MacNamara, the assistant athletic director, Ms. Delvin, and the grounds crew. Together they ensure that once the school day is over, athletic practices and competitions run smoothly. Part of his role also includes checking grades for eligibility. Once the school day is over, he spends the afternoon outside watching practices and games and talking to coaches and parents. At the time of this interview, Mr. Wicks had only been at Radnor for a few weeks, but he noted how welcomed he felt and how “it’s so refreshing to have people that chip in and want to get something done.”
Currently, he lives with his wife in the Philadelphia suburbs, along with their 70-pound Labradoodle named Finn, 40-pound black-and-white Springerdoodle named Sullivan, and an orange tabby named Sir King Waffles. An avid sports fan, Mr. Wicks enjoys living in such a sports-centered city. In his free time, he has a passion for doing triathlons and in some years has completed seven! To date, he has done a total of four half Iron Mans, which consist of a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride, and 13.1-mile run.
The future of our athletic programs looks bright under Mr. Wicks’s leadership. He is a committed administrator who has great ambitions for Radnor athletics. Welcome to Radnor, Mr. Wicks!
