New Directors Spark New Directions By Marrie Stone
On the Field
Athletic Director: Dustin Mittelsteadt Dustin Mittelsteadt embodies St. Mary’s spirit. From his Falcon’s baseball hat that caps his 6’8” frame to his oversized blue and gold jersey and matching shorts to his size 15 basketball shoes, Dustin is an athlete. That athleticism, combined with eleven years of teaching, coaching, and training, has made Mittelsteadt ideally suited to his new role as Athletic Director. While Mittelsteadt is a new director, he’s a seasoned Falcon, having taught for five years in St. Mary’s 5th grade program, and as lead 5th grade teacher. He brings this strong sense of school pride into his new position. He knows his students, he knows what an IB education requires, and he knows how to bring a competitive edge to a compassionate student body. “I want to build upon the already strong foundation of our athletics program, but infuse it with love, passion, and energy. Our students should play for their school name. They should wear their Falcon’s jersey with pride and take ownership for their school. Club sports are great,” he says. “But there’s no substitute for playing, winning, and succeeding for your own school.” Club sports are also limiting. Clubs can’t integrate IB values. And the coaches don’t always know the child outside the sport. At St. Mary’s, coaches are also teachers, and therefore know their students on a deeper level. A player comes to practice worried about an English test, or an issue with a friend or class—Mittelsteadt can help. He knows the school, faculty and students. It puts him in a unique position to coach students on a deeper level. Mittelsteadt grew up playing competitive sports, securing a full-ride basketball scholarship at Chaminade University of Honolulu. He’s coached high school and women’s college, as well as young children. He taught lower school for the past eleven years, the last five at St. Mary’s. And, all the while, he’s coached basketball and flag football. He also recently completed a Masters in Coaching and Athletics Administration from Concordia University in Irvine. His studies focused on leadership, and he intends to bring those critical skills to his students. “Sports are a lifetime commitment,” he says. “And the lessons go far beyond the field. We teach sportsmanship and integrity. Students learn about themselves, their teammates, and life.” Adversity, fairness, collaboration, self-discipline—these are values that will serve St. Mary’s students well into adulthood.
Mittelsteadt has a no-cut policy. “Middle school is not the time to cut,” he says. “Save that for high school. IB students are open-minded risk takers, and we encourage them to try different sports and events. This is the time for kids to try it all.” How does that commitment of inclusion affect success on the field? “A big aspect of our program is competition,” he says. “Every kid doesn’t deserve a trophy. Our students need to know what it takes to win, to strive, and to feel a deserved sense of accomplishment when they succeed.” There are a lot of valuable lessons in losing. But Mittelsteadt is mindful of success, and intends to recruit and retain players that can take their teams to the top of the league. There will be a team for everyone, from rookies to seasoned and skillful players. On his right wrist sit two rubber bracelets. One supports a nonprofit sports’ foundation and the other simply says, “Living on a Prayer,” honoring a St. Mary’s parent. “You gotta support your team,” he says. And Mittelsteadt’s team is big—students, parents, friends and family—from St. Mary’s and beyond. Not only does he talk like a coach, he lives like one. cont. on page 6
ST. MARY’S SUMMER 2016 NEWSLETTER