By Charlotte Hartshorn
Introducing Kevin Pitts
Raised in Waco, Texas, Mr. Pitts attended Midway High School where he worked as the student athletic trainer for the athletics department. After high school, Mr. Pitts attended the University of Arkansas where he studied Kinesiology: Athletic Training while working as a student athletic trainer throughout his undergraduate studies. Three days before graduating, Mr. Pitts was offered a full-time position as the Assistant Athletic Trainer for the university, where he took advantage of this opportunity for nine years before moving to the University of Tulsa. While at Tulsa, Mr. Pitts worked for four years as the Director of Football Operations. Following this, Mr. Pitts returned to athletic training at J.J Peace High School in Richardson for over nine years, before accepting his current position as Assistant Athletic Director of Richardson ISD in June of 2016.
Mr. Pitts is a huge athletics fan, and while not participating in any sports as a student, greatly supports the Boston Red Sox, the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Dallas Cowboys.
Mr. Pitts recognized four individuals as his main mentors that have inspired him within the athletic field, his first being Coach Frank Broyles, the former Athletic Director at the University of Arkansas. Additionally, Judy MacLeod the former Athletic Director at the University of Tulsa and now the Commissioner of Conference-USA; Bob Dubey, the former Athletic Director at Richardson ISD and finally, the current Director of Athletics for Richardson ISD, Leslie Slovak are all mentors for Mr. Pitts.
Did you know- Kevin Pitts has taped over 300,000 ankles in his various positions as an athletic trainer? That’s a lot of tape!
Quote from Leslie Slovak:
“We are so fortunate in Richardson ISD to have Kevin as our Assistant Athletic Director. He has a passion for athletics and Kevin is the ultimate team player who is all in for kids!”
1. As the Assistant Athletic Director, what are some of your main day-to-day duties?
As the Assistant Athletic Director for Richardson ISD, I coordinate the scheduling of junior high sports. I also help support and respond to questions regarding eligibility and transportation. It’s funny, even though I know how the weekly schedule is supposed to work there will usually be a few new things that pop up during the week. It’s an exciting and unpredictable position and that’s what I love.
Some of my other duties require me to help coaches and athletic departments with their budgeting and organization of uniforms, and I also assist in contacting facilities and maintenance offices as and when situations arise.
2. What sports have you coached in the past and what are some of your accomplishments achieved in these sports?
I have never coached athletics, but have participated as an athletic trainer in many events. I attended the Final Four basketball tournament while working for the University of Arkansas, and attended multiple NCAA track meets where I worked as part of the athletic training supervision for the events.
While at J.J. Pearce, I witnessed three state championship titles, as well as back-to-back women’s soccer titles in 2009 and 2010 which were all extremely rewarding.
3. What do you believe to be some of your strengths as an Assistant Athletic Director, and what are some areas you would like to develop in the future?
Probably due to my experience as an athletic trainer, one of my main strengths is the ability to remain calm in high pressure, stressful situations. Some situations unfortunately result in severe injuries, and the ability to stay calm is extremely important.
Also, being from an athletic training background, I bring a different perspective to athletic administration which allows me to express my ideas and concerns in a new light.
In the future, I would like to further my experience in sports facilities and event management. I additionally would like to continue to grow RISD high school athletics for our student athletes of the future.
4. What are some of the athletic administrative projects you have conducted or been a part of, and how have these helped you develop your career as an Assistant Athletic Director?
While working for Richardson ISD, I have been an observer of the baseball and softball renovations within the district. I have attended meetings to oversee changes and adaptations within the sports, allowing me to gather a further insight into management of facilities.
Additionally, this past summer we re-turfed four of the high school’s football fields in the district. I was highly involved in this project, overseeing and working with the project manager of the development. I attend a turf tour to recognize the different turf availabilities, and attending meetings in the decisions of these renovations. It was great to be a part of these renovations and to experience the process from the ground up.
5. Where do you see yourself and your career in five years time?
In five years’ time I hope to still be working within athletic administration, growing Richardson ISD athletics and its various programs, while building and developing facilities to provide a better experience for future student athletes.
