New Athletic Director Introduced

‘USE ATHLETICS TO HELP DEVELOP WHOLE PERSON’

PRAIRIE GROVE — Two years ago, Tommy Roy, soccer coach and history teacher at Shiloh Christian School, was attending a basketball game at Prairie Grove High School.

Turning to his wife, he recalls telling her, “This is a place I can see myself settling down for the rest of my life.”

Last week, Prairie Grove School Board approved a recommendation to hire Roy as the district’s new athletic director.

“I grew up playing against Prairie Grove and I am very familiar with Prairie Grove coaches and am in the conference with Prairie Grove,” Roy said last week before the School Board meeting. “I’ve always admired them and the way the community rallied around this school and wanted to be a part of something like that.”

He added, “As a father, Prairie Grove is a great school district. We just like that family feel you have here.”

Allen Williams, superintendent of schools, introduced Roy to School Board members, teachers, administrators and others attending the May 18 board meeting. Roy’s wife, Christa, son Paxton and daughter Mia also attended the meeting. Paxton is a 2015 graduate of Har-Ber High School in Springdale and Mia will attend Prairie Grove Middle School next year as a fourth-grader.

Williams handed over Prairie Grove Tigers ball caps and T-shirts to welcome Roy and his family.

“This has been a long time coming,” Williams said. “We’ve been a year without an athletic director.”

Roy graduated from Shiloh Christian and the University of Arkansas and received his teaching and coaching certificates from John Brown University in Siloam Springs. He has been head coach for the girls’ soccer team at Shiloh Christian and taught Advanced Placement courses in government, U.S. history and world history.

This is his sixth year in education. Before he started his career in education, he worked for Roy, Lambert and Lovelace law firm for eight years and ran a bait and tackle store on Loch Lomond in Bella Vista. His coaching experience includes coaching soccer for 14 years and coaching American Legion baseball with the Lindsey Dodgers. He also helped run basketball camps for Arkansas Athletic Outreach.

Roy said he is looking forward to working with the coaches at Prairie Grove to establish common goals for all athletic teams.

“For me personally, I’m looking to be their biggest supporter,” Roy said.

After the meeting, Williams said a committee narrowed nine candidates down to three.

“It was a difficult decision but at the end of the day, Tommy rose to the top,” Williams said.

He said Roy was intelligent and articulate in his interview and convinced the committee he was “sold on the fact” that he wanted to be in Prairie Grove.

Williams said Roy’s philosophy as an athletic director matched with the district’s philosophy.

“His philosophy is that he wants to use athletics to help develop the whole person,” Williams said.

Roy believes in encouraging teamwork, hard work and competitive spirit, as well as promoting the importance of sportsmanship and academic excellence, Williams said.

“That’s what we’ve tried to do and what we will continue to do,” he added

Roy’s contract with the school district starts July 1. His salary will be about $53,000.

LYNN KUTTER ENTERPRISE-LEADER Tommy Roy was hired as Prairie Grove’s new athletic director during the May 18 school board meeting. Roy’s family was present (from left): his wife, Christa; daughter, Mia; Tommy Roy; and son, Paxton.