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Brockway’s Grecco Named Regional AD of the Year

BROCKWAY, Pa. – Peter Grecco may do double duty at the Brockway Area School District as both athletic director and transportation director, but he also gives his time to an athletic director association.

For his efforts, he was recently named Regional Athletic Director of the Year.

The Pennsylvania State Athletic Directors Association is (PSADA) broken up into five regions. Brockway is in Region 3, which includes Districts 5, 6, 9, and 10. The athletic directors of the region nominate one of their members.

“Once you get nominated, you basically do everything you have to do for a resume,” Grecco said. “You have to list every event you’ve hosted, everything you’ve done, what your teaching certification is, and all that good stuff. I was recently informed that I received this award.”

Peter Grecco

Grecco seemed surprised that, out of all the schools in Region 3, he was chosen.

“It means a lot that they realize how hard what I do is, how many boards and associations I belong to,” he said. “It’s more than just someone I know seeing it, but it’s an outside person seeing all the hard work I put in.”

Grecco not only does a lot for PSADA, he has to keep busy with the sports at Brockway.

“For a small school, we get a lot of respect in the state of Pennsylvania,” he said. “This fall is one of our greatest seasons! We have a lot of teams involved in district play. I got a lot of phone calls congratulating me on the award, but also the success of the kids here in Brockway. That means a lot to me as well.”

Grecco credits Brockway’s athletic success to the atmosphere in the school. He explained that the coaches, administrators, teachers, and school councilors create an environment where students want to be on the field and also want to learn.

“What happens in sports is an extension of the classroom,” he said. “Our students want to be competitive, not only in school but on the field.”

One of Grecco’s other jobs is making sure coaches in his region stay certified. In July 2016, the governing body for school athletics in Pennsylvania, the PIAA, determined that coaches need to get certifications to be able to coach in Pennsylvania. The coaches need to get “Coaching Principles,” which is a fundamentals of coaching course, and a sports first aid course. The PIAA website explains that these courses are offered by two agencies, and Grecco is certified through one of those agencies.

“I’m an instructor for Human Kinetics,” Grecco said. “I teach both the coaching course and the first aid.”

He has taught classes in Brockway, Karns City, St. Marys. He gets an average of 45 coaches at each one.

“It’s going great,” he said. “The coaches make the athletic department. Our coaches don’t have to travel very far. I don’t want my coaches spending more time away from their families than they already have to. I wasn’t nervous to do the training. This is a great way to get to know other coaches and build a relationship with coaches in other schools. I learned what other coaches are doing and the problems they’re dealing with.”

One area Grecco introduced to other districts’ coaches is the Parent Handbook Brockway gives to parents of athletes.

“It’s a way to communicate to parents what we expect of them and of their athlete,” Grecco said. “Some districts are stealing that idea from us.”

Grecco will be honored at the PSADA Conference at Hershey Lodge. He’ll receive a plaque and his whole family will join him in Hershey.