STEELE SPORTS

Last week I reached out to Medford Superintendent Mark Ristau to discuss the Tigers’ next steps toward addressing community concerns about the school’s struggling athletic department.

Here are Ristau’s responses to the questions that we gave him.

What is the comprehensive plan for Won80 in terms of turning Medford’s athletics department around?

“Our engagement with Won80 is a collaborative approach, designed to strengthen long-term success across our entire athletics program. We view this as a dynamic partnership. Won80 brings a valuable, unbiased perspective, and their initial work will focus on meeting with our stakeholders (students, parents, coaches and staff) through focus groups. This initial assessment will allow us to identify opportunities and jointly establish measurable goals and objectives over the course of additional group conversations. Key areas of focus will be strengthening program culture, enhancing communication across all levels and clearly defining expectations. 

While working with Won80 is not a guarantee for improving a team's wins and losses, we anticipate that their collaboration with us will be invaluable in creating the necessary foundation for success: shared goals and deep stakeholder buy-in and support. We are already seeing the impact of this renewed focus. We completed installment of all new weight room equipment last spring and this fall we added the opportunity for students to earn a varsity letter through a strength program. Participation in our weight room is at an all-time high, demonstrating an enthusiasm that we are committed to channeling into every athletic program.”
 

Is there a timeline in place for certain athletics steps/goals?

“We are excited to get started right away this winter, with the goal of maximizing impact across our spring and subsequent athletic seasons. Our collaboration with Won80 is an initial commitment of up to two years. This extended timeline ensures we move beyond quick fixes and establish deeply rooted, positive changes that will benefit our student-athletes for years to come.”
 

I believe I recall you saying that Medford had established some sort of staff/student/parent committee for athletics. Can you describe what was established?

“Medford High School has had an Athletic Advisory Committee, led by our athletic director over the last many years. Its purpose is to ensure there is ongoing communication with each school program, as well as with our various booster programs. While members of this committee (comprised of coaches and booster club representatives) will have the opportunity to provide input through focus groups, I anticipate that they will collectively have an important role in supporting objectives identified through the Won80 process.”

In your opinion, what factors have contributed to Medford athletics reaching this boiling point?

“We view this moment not as a 'boiling point,' but as a key opportunity for evaluation and growth. Programs often experience cycles, with the COVID-19 years having a noticeable impact, and we believe now is the right time to bring in an experienced partner to objectively assess our current processes and practices. We know that there is opportunity to increase overall participation and ensure we are setting our programs, coaches and athletes up for success.”

What would you like to say to the Medford community about their passion for the well-being of its programs?

“I want to sincerely thank community members and our staff for their support of Medford athletics. Involvement means that people care, and that is so important, especially in a small community like ours. I’ve had two children graduate from Medford, with our third graduating this spring, all of whom played sports and were involved in clubs. I share that desire for a great overall academic and athletic experience here at Medford. The expectation is to be successful and competitive, and we are committed to that for the long term. We've had a history over the years of strong success, such as state place winners in track, our volleyball teams placing at state, a district football title a few years ago, and many state wrestling successes each year. Currently, we have some of the best trap shooters in the state. Ultimately, we all want the same thing: outstanding programs that give our kids rewarding opportunities and to be able to compete at the highest level. The partnership with Won80 is our way of investing directly in that shared goal. Thank you in advance to the many parents, students, coaches and staff that will contribute in strengthening our programs for the future.”