Lower Richland’s Chip Atkins (l) and C.A. Johnson’s Mickey Pringle were announced as co–recipients of the district’s High School Coach of the Year.

Five years ago, Richland School District One created an annual professional development experience designed to reiterate the important role coaches play in the district’s interscholastic programs. On Thursday, August 4, more than 200 coaches, athletics coordinators, and athletics directors took a break from the hectic beginning of the school year schedules to take part in the annual event, known as the Richland District One Coaches Convocation.

This year’s program emphasized health and safety for student athletes, strategies for recruitment and retention of highly qualified coaches, coaching strategies and tactics, and educational strategies for parents and student athletes about their roles and responsibilities in a successful athletics program.

Linda Segars was announced as the district’s Middle School Coach of the Year. With her is Dr. Carlos Smith, the district’s athletic director and Dr. Nate Miller, assistant superintendent. Dr. Allen Coles, Richland One Superintendent, kicked off the session with a lunchtime address. Representatives from the USC School of Medicine and the SC High School League, and USC Athletics Director Eric Hyman also addressed the group.

Dreher Athletic Director Mike Dubard congratulates this year’s winner of the H. B. Rhame Award, A. C. Flora High School. The athletic director of A. C. Flora is Mike Sisk. In the back ground is Richland One’s athletic director Dr. Carlos Smith. During the culminating dinner, three awards were given: the Middle School Coach of the Year, the High School Coach of the Year, and the H.B. Rhame Athletics’ Directors’ Award. A selection committee based their decision of the winning coaches on a variety of criteria, which included professionalism, preparation, contribution to the community, and team performance.

The H.B. Rhame Award was given to the district school with the best interscholastic athletics program for the year. It is named in honor of longtime district one teacher, administrator, and coach, H.B. Rhame.

AC Flora took the honor again this year. Last year, Flora broke Dreher High School’s 11–year run as the Rhame recipient. Linda Segars was announced as the district’s Middle School Coach of the Year. Segars is a PE teacher at W.G. Sanders Middle School where she also serves as the volleyball and girls’ basketball coach. Lower Richland’s Chip Atkins and C.A. Johnson’s Mickey Pringle were announced as co–recipients of the district’s High School Coach of the Year. The committee said that both men helped inspire their players to be the best student athletes they could be while enhancing their school’s programs.

Dr. Carlos Smith, the district’s athletics director, coordinates the annual event. He says it helps the district provide and promote a positive climate for coaches and athletics personnel and helps them reach their goal of “creating and sustaining an environment in which student athletes can compete safely at the highest level.” The district’s school board recently showed their support of interscholastic athletics by giving an across the board raise to all athletic coaches, whom they say provide positive direction and support for student growth.