John Bangley took over as AHS’s new Athletic Director a week before school started this August. Bangley is filling the shoes of Carol Sams, Aspen’s old AD, who resigned this past summer and moved to Grand Junction. She is now the Athletic Director for the Grand Junction High School Tigers.

Bangley was born in Virginia, but was employed in Central Florida as an Athletic Director for the past ten years. Bangley and his wife originally moved to Florida because they wanted to go somewhere warm. Over time, Bangley started to fall in love with Colorado. His first time in Colorado was when he came to visit his daughter who went to the Air Force Academy in 2007. She is now out of college and starting her own life. Once the timing was right for his family, Bangley and his wife decided to move. He had never been to Aspen until he moved a week before the school year. He interviewed over the phone, had a great feel for Kim Martin and Mark Grice, and decided that this would be a great fit.

“Aspen is a wonderful public school with a private school feel to it,” Bangley said.

The private school feel intrigued Bangley because he went through a private school growing up and he has also taught at a few private schools in the past.

“Everybody knows everybody… you go downtown and know people. It’s a friendly area,” Bangley said.

Bangley is very excited about being able to meet the people in Aspen, and getting a chance to embrace what this town has to offer. In the meantime, he’ll be roving the sidelines of football fields, soccer fields, golf courses, and tennis courts throughout western Colorado. Soon Bangley will enjoy a completely new experience — hockey rinks and ski slopes.

Though Bangley has only been in Aspen for a mere three weeks, he has already noticed a few things that could use an adjustment; however, he realizes the success that AHS has already had with sports. As of now he doesn’t see any glaring issues that need to be fixed immediately.

“My goal is that you do well what you do and I’m hoping that at some point my thumbprint can be on something,” Bangley said.

Next season, he wants to focus on fixing the sport schedules to avoid some minor conflicts that he has already noticed. In the future, however, he really wants to focus on communication among the parents, coaches, players and school administrators with more fluidity. He wants everyone to understand what his role as an athletic director is. He wants to make himself accessible to everyone with a question.

“ I want to make sure the families know who to reach out to if they have questions. I don’t want parents to go to that coach right after a game because they are upset with something,” Bangley said.

He wants everyone to have a voice as long as they follow the proper procedure to be heard.

AHS seem to be enjoying what Bangley is bringing to the school. When you see him roaming the sidelines, make sure to strike up a conversation and get to know him.