News

Mar 01, 2024

‘A Community Project’: Way lays out vision for RSHS athletics as new AD

ROCKINGHAM — Sitting in his office Wednesday morning, Mike Way fielded one phone call and in-person request after another as Richmond Senior High School’s newly-hired athletic director. The ringing of

ROCKINGHAM — Sitting in his office Wednesday morning, Mike Way fielded one phone call and in-person request after another as Richmond Senior High School’s newly-hired athletic director.

The ringing of phones was matched with his scribbling of notes and real-time problem solving as things around campus continue to heat up for another year of Raider athletics.

The controlled chaos had its own rhythm as Way worked through his sixth official day on the job. The baptism by fire, so to speak, is something he’s not shying away from.

A lifetime resident of Richmond County and 1993 graduate of Richmond, Way’s knowledge of Richmond and its athletic program dates back three decades.

When the position became available in June following the retirement of former athletic director Rob Ransom, Way said it was an intrinsic notion that led him to apply.

“This is a job I’ve always wanted,” Way explained. “It’s a job that when I walked by this same office door 30 years ago in high school I thought would be cool to have.

“I love all sports and anything that people compete in and try to win. I like being involved in not just one or two sports as a coach but now all of them.”

Serving as a physical education teacher at Richmond since the 2016-17 school year, Way has been the head softball coach for four years and head swimming coach for six years. He’s also coached girls’ tennis and boys’ golf.

With all that experience, along with a golf career at UNC-Greensboro, under his belt, Way hopes to use his new position to benefit all of Richmond’s student-athletes and coaches, while continuing to build a relationship beyond the bleachers and outfield fences.

Jim Butler, Richmond’s principal, led the hiring process in June and July and pointed to several characteristics that made Way the right candidate to lead the rich tradition of Raider athletics into the future.

“Coach Way brings a great deal of experience in athletics to this new role,” Butler said. “He has experience as a player on the high school, collegiate and professional level. He has been a classroom teacher and head coach in middle school and high school for many sports.

“He has been the parent to three successful high school and collegiate athletes. These experiences combined with his work ethic, organizational skills and love for Raider athletics make Mike Way a great fit as the next RSHS athletic director.”

Day-to-day, Way will be a presence within the school and local community who, on the surface, will schedule games, check student-athlete eligibility, organize field maintenance and keep up annual sponsorships.

A deeper dive into his position, he explained, delves into working with Butler to “make tough decisions on what to spend money on” throughout the school year.

Setting the Standard

Known around campus for his quizzical nature, analytical decision-making and deep knowledge and IQ of high school sports, Way is putting himself at the forefront of what he believes will continue to yield positive results across each playing surface.

Self accountability, he said, is where it starts. Having a balance of that, along with approaches on both sides of the spectrum, is imperative to the job.

“I consider myself pretty easygoing and don’t take myself too seriously,” Way shared. “And I don’t get offended by things. I’m passionate about the things I care about and the things I want to improve, which are characteristics I think are needed for this job to work.

“I have high standards for myself and that goes over to having the same high standards for all of our coaches and student-athletes. I care what people’s opinions are of Richmond’s athletic program and that’s something I will use to guide and stick with my decisions.”

A Different Vision

Richmond is weeks away from starting its 52nd year of high school athletics, one that’s written its own lore and tradition over the past five decades.

Over the past 10 years, Richmond’s baseball, softball, football and boys’ basketball programs have all made deep playoff runs. Most recently, the Raider hoops team played for the 4A state title in March.

Understanding that sports fans in general often define success by wins, loses and championship trophies, Way noted that a deeper foundation rooted in the overall quality of Richmond’s athletics is what will allow it to flourish.

“I have a clear vision of where I want this program to go and it has less to do with winning state championships and those types of things,” Way laid out. “I have a different vision of success, one that’s based on the success of how many good people we turn out.

“I don’t want it to be misunderstood that I don’t care about winning, that couldn’t be further from the truth,” he continued. “My vision for Richmond athletics is for it to be a community project, something that everyone is proud of. If we do all the small things and play the games the right way, the winning will take care of itself.”

Way said there will be times when programs are going to be state championship contenders.

His hope is that “we’re also going to be state championship people who are proud of everything we say, everything we do and every action we make. That’s the standard I want to set for Richmond.”

The Trickle Down

Like with all high school athletic programs, Way acknowledged that the structure and output of local middle school sports plays a large role in influencing the future success at the high school level.

With four middle schools in the county all filtering into one high school, he said it’s imperative to try and align Richmond’s philosophies and mantra with them as much as possible. Currently, Way has some ideas to make this happen and said it will be a working project.

“There is an overwhelming desire to have people get on board with this,” Way explained. “People may not realize how desperate the times are with middle school sports, we may be just a few years away from not having them at all.

“Something we’re going to do this year is play as many middle school games on Richmond’s campus as we can. The hope is to get our middle school kids excited about becoming Raider student-athletes.”

A Community Project

One of the cornerstones to Way’s vision is to hinge the athletic program’s success on a solid foundation with the local community.

“Our community support has always been great in this county, but I’d like to build something even greater that people want to be a part of,” Way said.

“The community is necessary and is greatly appreciated, and to build upon that goes hand in hand with everything going right. That means teams winning and being competitive, being well-coached, playing the game the right way and making sure everything is done on the athletic department’s end to ensure things go smoothly.”

Again, in his less than two weeks at the helm, Way has already been discussing several ideas to make game experiences more enjoyable for fans across the board for all sports.

One thing he hopes to accomplish is to get more Booster Club participation, which benefits all of Richmond’s teams. In hoping that “more people will become invested in our vision,” Way said possibly naming athletic fields after former standout players and coaches is on the table.

Butler echoed Way’s sentiments on the importance of community involvement.

“Raider athletics is comprised of many sports, coaches, players and fans. Before the games are played, there is so much that must happen with facilities, equipment, schedules, eligibility and so much more,” Butler said. “There is nothing accidental about how Raider Magic is created. It takes hard work, passion, great energy and dedication to make it come together.

“Coach Way will bring that energy to the position. The only way that we can build on the traditions and success of the last 50 years is for the athletic director to bring together the school and the community in support of our Raiders. I hope our students, parents, alumni and community will work with Coach Way to make this happen.”

Fundraising Goals

Tackling one of the more discussed topics, Way knows fundraising plays a large role in providing teams with equipment and other needs throughout a season. It’s an area of his new position that he hopes to generate revenue to give Richmond’s players and coaches the things they need.

Everything from field paint, uniforms, umpire and referee fees, facility maintenance, among other needs, are things that will have to be accounted for. Way said continuing to work on “simplifying the process and improving communication across the board” are ways to achieve this.

“Right now we’re going to take small successes where we can get them,” Way shared. “One idea I have is to have a title sponsor for non-revenue sports to help those programs.

“They include tennis, golf, bowling and cross country. We just had Modern Woodman become the title sponsor for girls’ tennis and that’s huge for that program and our whole school.”

Richmond’s fall sports season begins on Monday, Aug. 14, with the boys’ soccer team and volleyball team in action.

Click here to find out more information on reserved seats, Booster Club passes and VIP parking passes.

The Richmond Observer will continue its award-winning sports coverage in the coming weeks with season previews and feature articles.