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Joe Sharrow, athletic director and recently named assistant principal for Vance County High School, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Tuesday at 11 a.m.
Serving as athletic director at Southern Vance High School, and maintaining the title after the consolidation of Northern and Southern Vance into Vance County High School in 2018, Sharrow said he has spent the past several years earning credentials and gaining experiences that will help him excel in the administrative position.
Sharrow’s new role comes at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has many school systems in NC, including Vance County Schools, choosing to operate under Plan C – fully remote learning – at least through the first nine weeks of the 2020-21 academic year.
“With all of the changes we are experiencing in our school system right now, I do believe I have a skill set that can be very beneficial from a leadership perspective,” Sharrow stated.
If adding assistant principal duties to his plate was not enough of a challenge for Sharrow, he will also have to contend with an athletic season that is vastly different from the norm.
In addition to making schedule changes to other sports, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) Board of Directors voted last week to move football to the spring. The high school football regular season will now begin early February 2021, end in early April and include just seven games. Some form of a playoff is still expected and is currently under review.
Sharrow explained the NCHSAA has asked school systems to hold off on scheduling until September 4, at which time further guidance on a playoff system is expected.
Expressing concern for the health of student-athletes who have previously traveled longer distances to play in Chapel Hill, Durham, or Pittsboro, Sharrow said he supports a sports schedule that focuses on neighboring Granville, Franklin and Warren counties this year.
“I’m very much in favor of a more regional focus on our athletic schedule,” Sharrow admitted. “We need to get creative; desperate times call for desperate measures. I believe that we can make a schedule work that is regional and, quite frankly, something our community would be more interested in.”
While this year in high school athletics promises to be challenging for all involved, Sharrow said he is looking forward to tackling the obstacles while also acclimating to new responsibilities.
“This was always a career goal of mine – something I wanted to try and something I believe I can do,” said Sharrow. “People in this community have come to know me as an athletics person. I do love sports and high school athletics; it’s a passion of mine. In addition, I do have a passion for education. In fact, I went to college to be a teacher. I’ve been working at the school [SVHS/VCHS] in other capacities for nine years, and I’m really excited to be able to impact our school system in another way.”
To hear the interview in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.
