Shades of Green - Stephen T. Badin High School

Geoff Melzer ’87 new athletic director at BadinGeoff Melzer ’87 called being named the athletic director at Badin “my dream job.”That dream is a reality as Melzer has stepped in for Sally Kocher, who has retired after 40 years on the Badinfaculty, the last 14 years as the athletic director for both the boys and girls athletic programs.“I love athletics,’’ Melzer said. “More importantly, I love Badin High School. I’m a proud alum, passionate aboutthe school. I don’t think there’s a better place to be.”BHS Principal Brian Pendergest ’90 noted that Melzer was the No. 1 recommendation of two committees thatBadin formed to consider 75 applications and ultimately interview 11 candidates.“His passion for Badin High School and his knowledge of the community, his knowledge of sports, is exceptional,”Pendergest said. “His thoughts about where he wants to take the program really won over both committees.”Melzer is a graduate of Miami University, with a degree in health and sports studies. He was most recently a district manager for StagnaroDistributing in Cincinnati. He is currently the freshman girls’ basketball coach at Badin, and directs the Hamilton Hustle/Little Rams basketball program.He is the former basketball director of the Hamilton CYO program.“A lot of being the athletic director is about building relationships with all sorts of people,’’ Melzer said. “That’ssomething I’m good at. You’re building relationships, you’re managing people. You’re not only selling your athletic program,but a good athletic program is helping to sell your school.”“This is a very important post,’’ said Pendergest, who called Melzer “a man of integrity” and added, “Sally Kocher has done a tremendousjob over the years. We’re looking forward to having Geoff join the team and lead the program for many years to come.”Melzer called the Badin athletic program “strong”, adding, “But is it strong from top to bottom? Maybe not. There’s definitely room for us tobe better in all sports. We should be competing for championships every year in every sport. We need to set a plan of action to chip away at that.”Melzer will be the fifth athletic director at Badin since the school opened for the 1966-67 school year. He follows the Rev. John Roettele,Terry Malone ’52, Gerry Weisgerber and Sally Kocher. Kocher had separately directed the girls’ athletic program since 1975, and the two positionswere combined 14 years ago. Melzer and his wife, Lyndsay, live in Hamilton. He is the father of five children.Brian Streng loves learning A little “traveling music” for Badin science teacherBrian Streng, please. He’s headed “Down Under” this summer – and a lot of other places as well.Streng enjoys seeing the world – he’ll be out of the country from June 29 to August 17, in Vietnam, Cambodia,Laos, Thailand and Australia. Last summer, he was studying on Mexico’s Baja peninsula. Two years ago, he spent 48days backpacking across Europe. Streng learns a lot on his recreational trips … but there is studying involved, too, asStreng will spend 10 days on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef through Miami University’s Project Dragonfly and Earth Expeditionsprogram. He’ll be observing marine ecology and reef conservation.“I love learning,’’ said Streng, 29, who just completed his fifth year teaching at Badin. “Science changes sorapidly that you almost have to stay in school to stay current. Some of the things that are coming out in textbooks nowweren’t even discovered when I was an undergrad. “Plus,” he is quick to add, “learning is fun.”Streng notes that he has been in college continuously since 2003, and is working on his fourth degree, a master’sin zoology. The Springboro High grad majored in adolescent education and life science at Miami University, and has since added a bachelor’sdegree in zoology and a master’s degree in adolescent education. (Not to mention what he smilingly refers to as 20 other “random hours” of graduatework.) Miami’s Dragonfly program offers continuing education opportunities all over the world, so after last year in Baja and this year in Australia,next year he hopes to study in Africa.“As a graduate assistant, I was involved in evaluating the program,’’ Streng said, “so now it’s kind of interesting to be a part of it. During theyear we participate in on-line classes and discussion groups, and in the summer you go overseas. I’ve enjoyed it.”Streng has also been a leader at Badin in integrating technology and education … and his expertise is such that he was a presenter at a recenteducator’s convention in Columbus entitled “Ohio Goes Google.” His presentation was on improving grading efficiency by using Google formsand going paperless in the classroom.“It was well-received,” said Streng of the 45-minute talk. “I’ve had a number of e-mail responses since then. There were a number of questionsduring the talk, which told me the audience (of some 150) was engaged. It was a good reaction.”Streng, who taught for six months in Australia before joining the Badin faculty, is very pleased with what’s going on at BHS. “Badin isdefinitely in the forefront of integrating technology and education,’’ he said. “I appreciate the fact that the school givesme the freedom to do what I do.”12