AHS does a particularly good job of acknowledging their teachers and faculty members for their hard work and dedication, but that does not mean that all credit has been given where it is due. Kurt Ufkes, AHS football coach and athletic manager, has played a key role in operating the athletic program from behind the scenes for several years.

To start, Ufkes  plays several different roles within the football program, going all the way from being a coach to managing the equipment and players on the team. He has had inside and out experience when it comes to athletics here at the school, and he has a very communal outlook.

“I started being of significant service to the program when my first son, Michael Ufkes, started playing sports in high school. I saw how happy the atmosphere of AHS athletics made him, and all I wanted to do was give back,” Ufkes stated. “I have always preferred to do things for the benefit of others without being in the spotlight. It feels better to help people behind the scenes because I love to do it, not because I’m looking for credit.

As Ufkes continues to play his humble role for the athletic program here at AHS, he works a job in property management/maintenance as well. He has a very full schedule to fulfill on a day to day basis. Ufkes has upheld an image of an ideal community member in Aspen for decades.

“The trick to maintaining an image is to keep to yourself and let everybody else judge you based on your actions only,” Ufkes said. “People tend to get way too caught up in all of the drama for such a small town. I just try to keep a level head and stay out of the dialogue that doesn’t matter so much to me.”