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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