Mike Brooks’ inaugural season as high school athletic director came to a close a week ago, capping off a successful fall for GDS teams.
Brooks, the former athletic director of Saint James and William Penn Charter School, has replaced David Gillespie this fall as the new athletic director.
Brooks was quickly impressed by the GDS community and its welcoming and inclusive environment. “We’re one community that is made up of individuals who identify in a variety of different ways, but that’s all celebrated.”
Brooks said some of his own personal traits and experiences can help benefit GDS’s athletic program. “I genuinely care for our students, for our faculty and staff, for our families.”
Gillespie had some advice for Brooks, saying that he should “have fun and enjoy himself.”
Brooks emphasized his admiration of Gillespie, saying of the personnel change, “With the great work that David has done, I see it as a passing of the baton.”
So far, the Hoppers have found lots of success during Brooks’ time at GDS. The GDS women’s varsity volleyball team won the District of Columbia State Athletic Association (DCSAA) tournament for the third year in a row and was nationally ranked for the first time in school history, the women’s varsity soccer team had an undefeated regular season and was a finalist in the Independent School League (ISL) championship, and the men’s varsity soccer team finished second in the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAC).
Brooks also put a lot of emphasis on the cross country team’s success. “The cross country team has 80 kids who all feel that they are in a safe space. They feel valued,” he said. “They are succeeding in every aspect of life.” On Oct. 26, both the boys’ and girls’ varsity teams finished in the top three in the MAC and ISL tournaments. At the state championship meet the following Saturday, both teams finished fourth.
“In every aspect of our athletic program, they are learning life-long skills that include competing to win, but don’t stop there,” Brooks said. Brooks said that GDS athletes are “learning personal and relationship skills that are going to help them achieve life-long success.”
Brooks has also previously served as the director of athletics and men’s basketball head coach at Cazenovia College in New York. Brooks graduated from Cazenovia College with a degree in human services and is a member of the college’s athletics hall of fame for men’s basketball. He earned his master’s degree in sport management from SUNY Cortland State.
In the coming months, Brooks hopes to enhance the fan turnout at GDS athletics, and mentioned possible strategies to bring the GDS community together. “We can do theme nights, we can do fun activities, I’m working on a giveaway,” Brooks said. “I’d love to have that so that our athletic events are community events.”
Brooks is excited for the upcoming year at GDS, along with getting to be a part of the GDS community. “There’s so many events that make up the school year. I’m committed to be a part of all of that,” Brooks said. “I’m just excited for it all.”
Brooks said he wants to focus not only on competitive success, but on growth. “We want to make the middle school feel included and seen” in athletics, he said. “We also want to help them develop their skill on and off the court.”