As of July 1, 2023, the highly successful athletic director Jason Stewart era at Greenbrier East, will end. Stewart resigned as AD several weeks ago and has paved the way for a whole new era to begin at East as he will take over as AD and football coach at EGMS.
Joey Hodge, a teacher at the school, was tabbed to take over the responsibilities and continue what Stewart built and to also come up with new, fresh ideas for an ever-improving future for the athletic department. Once he learned of his new tasks, his eyes got a little big.
“I think I was in shock when I learned how much paperwork we were dealing with,” Hodge said smiling.
Hodge has an athletic background which can always provide valuable for stepping into this position. He started high school sports in New Philadelphia, Ohio, the school where the great Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes began his coaching career. The level of competition and fan support in that area was unbelievable, according to Hodge, and his school had a 120-year rival history with Dover High School which opened his eyes to sports in a completely different way.
Hodge moved back to Lewisburg in 2002, and as a junior and senior, he played Spartan football for coach Bob McClintic and baseball for Chris Hall. Hodges’ teammates from way back when are still some of his best friends today.
Since college, Hodge has been coaching in some capacity at the youth level of little league. He coached middle school track at EGMS when he was a teacher there and was an assistant baseball coach at East for two seasons. One of those seasons, they made a run at states, but unfortunately fell short to Jefferson County in the state semi-finals. Once he and his wife (Morgan) had children (Kennedy and Hudson), he put coaching at the high school level on hold to focus on raising his kids and coaching them in soccer, football, and baseball.
Now, Hodge has an even bigger commitment with his new role, but it is something he has always wanted to be around and is ready for his new challenge.
“I’ve always wanted to be involved in athletics in one way or another,” Hodge stated.
“Since I graduated with my master’s degree in educational leadership from Marshall University in 2020, I have aspired to jump into the administrative world.
When this AD position became available, it was the perfect opportunity to combine my love of sports and my degree while also allowing me to stay at GEHS. I like the idea of working with our coaches and student athletes to help them achieve a high level of success, and providing support to them in any capacity that makes their jobs more efficient and simply more enjoyable,” he added.
And with Hodge, it is not all about the athletic aspect or even wins and losses, but how the student athletes are prepared for their next step.
“While we often measure success in wins and losses, I know that can’t be our only focus. We must get our athletes to a point where they are prepared academically, socially, and emotionally for life after sports, whether that’s post-secondary or entering the work force. I want our student athletes to be ready to be contributing members to whatever sphere they enter,” he said.
The same can be said for Hodge himself. No matter how many wins or losses the Spartan teams rack up beginning this fall, he will be learning a brand-new role within the school. Fortunately, the relationships he has made over the last several years will provide him with guidance to do the job correctly.
“Learning a new position and job will always take a little time. Luckily, I have some time this summer to jump in and get my feet wet. Also, I have some good mentors to look to for help. There are three former A.D.’s currently working at East (Mr. Routson, Mrs. Fisher, Mr. Zopp), and I have a good relationship with the two most recent directors (Mrs. Hulmes and Mr. Stewart). They may get tired of seeing my name pop up on their phones, but they’ve been very willing to offer their support and help when needed,” Hodge joked.
While there are challenges with the job within the school, the biggest one probably comes from within the home. Family support is important, and Hodge knows he has as much behind him as anyone.
“My wife, Morgan, and my kids Kennedy & Hudson are very excited,” he exclaimed.
I needed their approval before I even moved forward. They gave me their blessing to apply even after I explained the pros and cons. I’m incredibly lucky to be married to Morgan for numerous reasons, but it helped tremendously that she is a major sports fan. She may be a bigger sports fanatic than I am. Growing up in northeast Ohio, she’s a big Cleveland sports fan. She’s also a diehard Buckeyes fan as well, so it helps that we are a sports family,” Hodge continued.
Still, there are some bigger compromises as well.
“The time away in the evenings is our biggest concern. Family time will also be game time. When I’m at the games, Morgan and the kids are going to be in the stands as well cheering on our Spartans,” Hodge explained.
With the school in good standing and running smoothly, Hodges’ goals are relatively simple early.
“My goal is to assess where we are and see how we can improve as a department. My number one priority this year is to support our coaches the best way that I can. I want to try to streamline some of our processes and help things become as efficient as possible so our coaches can focus on coaching and our community members can have the best game experience possible,” Hodge said.
Looking at this as a long-term position, Hodge is ready to make the community proud and hopes the consistency of his tenure brings a lot of positive energy.
“Five years from now, I hope to still be in this position. Consistency is needed within any program to grow and become successful. I hope to see our teams achieving their goals and putting a lot of wins under their belts. I want East to be a contender every season within our section and region, and make consistent pushes toward state titles,” Hodge said.
“In a time where division is all around us, I want Greenbrier East athletics to be one thing we can all rally around,” he concluded.
