Mach wins Region 1A AD of year

Ali Mach, the Blooming Prairie activities director (AD), recently received the Region 1A Activities Director of the Year Award.
Mach was nominated for the award by Chris Pack, the activities director at Hayfield High School. Pack introduced Mach at the Nov. 9 banquet where she received the award.
Mach said she received a phone call a couple of weeks ago from Scott McCready, a Section 1 athletics director who served on the selection committee. “He called me up one afternoon and let me know I was going to receive that award, and I was actually really shocked because I’ve only been an AD for seven years. So, it’s a huge honor and a privilege,” said Mach.
Mach said she only told a few colleagues about the award before it was made public at the banquet ceremony.
“Actually, I didn’t tell anyone until the next day, when I told Mr. [Chris] Staloch and Mr. [John] Worke. And I actually didn’t communicate it out after that, I had just kept it pretty quiet. I’m not one that likes to share my own accomplishments, I’d rather be a part of everyone else’s accomplishments.”
Staloch is the superintendent of the Blooming Prairie School District and Worke is the high school principal.
Mach said she’s grateful to her colleagues and the community members who reached out to congratulate her on the accomplishment.
“It’s a great sense of community. You just feel like a giant family and I think that’s the best part of all of that. So, when this type of recognition presents itself, it’s just a great feeling because of that sense of community that you have in a small town.”
Reflecting on her time at Blooming Prairie to date, Mach said that she feels that a big part of Blooming Prairie’s success has come from the people who make up every aspect of the school.
Mach also recognized the excellence of her student-athletes and the coaching staff that she has both hired and coached alongside in her time at Blooming Prairie.
With fall sports at Blooming Prairie having finished their seasons for the year, Mach said that she plans on having a nice Thanksgiving holiday with her family before setting her sights on the winter sports seasons.