sports – then the rivalry can remain fun for the township of Wayne.
HOW THRILLING WAS THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP FOOTBALL GAMELASTFALL? The MetLife game itself was the perfect example a great rivalry game. Two outstanding teams that were well prepared. The game and“ the play” atthe end of the game are what high school athletics are all about. It is about creating memories and the final at MetLife, which some say is one of the greatest, if not the greatest games of all time was an honor to be apart of.
The end of the game was absolutely surreal. I was one of the last people to leave the stadium and still could not believe the result. I walked out of the stadium in complete silence and had time to reflect on all that had occurred up until that point. The Township and Board of Education are both proud of what was accomplished on the field and we look forward to a great rest of the school year.
WHAT’ S BEEN THE BIGGEST CHANGE IN HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS SINCE YOU BECAME AN ADMINISTRATOR? Some ofthe more common responses would be the advent of social media, which brings both pros and cons. I do think a positive to both high schools and high school athletics has been the acceptance of students into their athletic programs that in the past may not have been welcomed by studentathletes. I see this as a great sign of growth for many high schools from years past.
Something that I believe needs to be worked on, which Ihear alot from many school administrators and athletic directors, is that parents need to let students be responsible for their actions. Whether it’ s for forgetting to bring in their baseball glove to practice or disrupting class in school. The idea of learning to“ fail forward” is something that all people need to embrace so we can develop as people in the future.
WAYNE HILLS HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC DIRECTOR RICH PORFIDO
WHAT’ SONE THING YOU’ D LIKE TO SEE CHANGE ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS IN NEW JERSEY? I would like to see consistency from the NJSIAA in all areas, whether it’ s enforcing rules, or implementing guidelines like practice timeframes. There is too much gray area open to interpretation, and when that occurs people and schools can often be put in difficult positions.
WHEN YOU’ RE NOTBEINGAN A. D., WHAT ELSE DO YOU LIKE TO DO? I am an avid guitar player and into a variety of music, especially country. My friends and I have an annual trip that we have taken to a college football game for the past 17 years. This past year we were able to see Alabama play at Arkansas, and along with these trips we have been fortunate to meet the ESPN Game Day Crew. ■
– AS TOLD TO DARREN COOPER
WAYNE MAGAZINE SPRING 2017
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