HIAWASSEE – The Mountain Movers and Shakers welcomed new Young Harris College Athletic Director Michael Ross to the Sundance Grill on Friday morning, July 31, to introduce his new leadership team and share his vision for the future of Mountain Lion Athletics.
“I’m excited to see what we’re able to do this year. I truly believe that we have a great team ahead of us,” Ross said. “We’ve got a very established coaching core that is passionate about what they do. They’re excited. They’re ready to get started with their student athletes.”
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That team is made up of Associate Athletic Director for Compliance Jamie Grodecki, Assistant Director of Athletics for Sports Communications Chandler Davis, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine Ed Schaeffer, Assistant Athletic Director for External Operations Allie Craig Cruce, and Assistant Athletic Director for Facilities and Game Operations Wayne McCullough.
“I can’t brag on this group enough,” Ross said. “They are fantastic. They have been a godsend in so many ways for me personally.”
For YHC Senior Vice President Mark Dotson, having Ross on the team has been much the same.
“We’re very lucky to have him,” Dotson said. “He’s a very fine young man. Very intelligent, very passionate about what he wants to do with Young Harris, and very passionate about student athletes.”
Ross graduated from Union County High School in 2008 before attending Georgia College and State for two years. He later transferred to Piedmont College, now called Piedmont University, to earn a degree in history before going back to school for kinesiology at the University of Georgia.
At UGA, Ross helped an associate start a training organization called Advanced Hoops Training, then later started his own training company called Elite Level Training. Though his career has taken him across the Southeast, Ross said he is happy to finally be back in Young Harris.
“This is home,” Ross said. “I want us to pour into our student athletes and make sure that they’re successful when they leave this place, but I want this to be home (to them) too. I want them to want to come back like the rest of us did. It’s important to me.”
Ross said his priorities include training student athletes to be strong, highly competitive leaders and encouraging them to be active in the surrounding community.
“I want them to grow to be good men and women, first and foremost,” Ross said. “Second, I want them to compete as hard as they possibly can … and another key component for me, as we move forward, is to get engaged with the community.”
To boost community engagement, Ross said he will encourage student athletes to volunteer with local nonprofit organizations and other community groups. However, he asked that the community return the favor by attending athletic events.
“We’d love to see y’all at games,” Ross said. “I think it goes a really long way to see both sides of that relationship really, really be built and fostered. My vision is for our students to organically go out … to volunteer their time and things of that nature, but also (to) turn around at their games and see you in the stands.”
Before the Movers and Shakers meeting wrapped up on Friday, McCullough gave an update on planned athletic facility improvements for the next year.
He said the college is expecting a new soccer and lacrosse scoreboard, a new softball scoreboard and shot clocks for the basketball arena. YHC also plans to add a press box with permanent restrooms at the soccer and lacrosse complex next summer.
