Page 3 - The Wayne Dispatch

Wayne Memorial welcomes new athletic director

By Carolyn Marnon can tell the culture here is a very
and Ryan Wright friendly culture and welcoming. The
Married 14 years to his middle- kids have been awesome in their off-
school sweetheart, Jason Malloy and season training. They’ve been work-
his wife, Ornella, have been together ing hard.” He’s excited to be part of
since middle school. They have two the long tradition of the Zebra fam-
daughters, Ariana (age 11) and Jada ily.
(age 9). “I love my family. I love In the short-term, Jason would
spending time with them. I love like the Zebra athletic program to be
being a husband and a father,” says recognized as competitive. He also
Jason as he opens up about himself wants to build great relationships
to share a bit about himself with the with the student athletes, the parents
community. and the community. “I’m a relation-
Jason is the new Athletic Director ship person. One of my favorite
at Wayne Memorial High School. quotes is ‘They don’t care what you
Prior to this position, he was the ath- know until they know that you care.’”
letic director at Robichaud High He wants the kids to understand
School in Dearborn Heights. He also that being a student athlete does
served there as head football coach. more for them than just playing the
His career started in 2005 as assis- sport. “I’m always calling myself a
tant coach/defensive coordinator at life coach. I’m one of the biggest com-
Robichaud. He went on to coach at petitors you may ever meet. If we're
Ypsi Lincoln, was assistant head playing one-on-one or throwing
coach at Ann Arbor Pioneer, became paper in a basket, I'm trying to win,
head coach at Ypsi High School and but ultimately that's not what we're
then took an opportunity to coach at trying to do with our student-ath-
Concordia University and Wayne letes. We’re trying to prepare them
State as an assistant defensive line for life. To be better husbands and
coach. better wives and better, you know,
Graduating from Western Michi- granddaughters and daughters.
gan University with an elementary Those are the things that we hope to
education background, Jason has instill through sports.”
been a 5th grade teacher. “It was a Jason’s job as athletic director,
great opportunity for me. I love kids, he says, is to coach the coaches up
and I love impacting kids. I just felt so they can maximize their potential
like I began to grow outside of the to reach the student athletes and to
classroom as a coach, and I wanted build relationships. He wants every-
my impact to be much larger and one to know that when you come to
with the kids that I was working with play Wayne Memorial, “we are going
on the football field.” When he got to compete.”
the opportunity to get his master’s Long-term, Jason wants to be
degree in Sports Administration, he sending student athletes to college
was able to go back to Robichaud. “I on scholarships. He wants to posi-
was able to help change the culture, Jason Malloy is the new Athletic Director at Wayne Memorial High School. tion them to go to two-year or four-
the mindset. Some of the facilities we year schools with the character
were able to renovate some things “I had an opportunity to go to He goes on to say, “it's an exciting foundation of hard work learned
and just put a new face on Ro- Southfield High School as an assis- time. The kids are awesome. When through athletics. “Our job is to
bichaud….We started an Athletic tant AD.” He was soon able to take you have someone like Greg Am- teach them to be a holistic student.”
Hall of Fame there which was phe- over as the AD which he says was a brose (the former Athletic Director at When he’s not working, Jason
nomenal, not only for the great ath- great opportunity for him. “One of WMHS) who has been here for a loves to fish, an activity he took up a
letes from there, but it was the top schools in the state of Michi- while now gives me an opportunity few years ago. He finds the water re-
phenomenal for our community we gan where we were again able to to come into what he's already estab- laxing. He loves the challenge of try-
were able to just draw back our change some facilities around. Our lished. I think through my experi- ing to find what kind of bait he needs
alumni to want to be a part of the girls program went to the state finals ence, there are some things that I and what he needs to do to try to
things that we were doing in the Ath- and we were able to do a lot of great can put in place that I can just add catch the fish. “Sometimes not even
letic Department. So it was a great things at Southfield.” to the experience of our sports pro- catching a fish is good as well.”
learning curve me as an athletic di- “What drew me to Wayne Memo- gram, so we have a solid foundation Another cornerstone of his life is
rector putting some of the things that rial was the opportunity to come here. I'm just excited to be here and working with the youth at his church.
I have done in the past as a football back close to home. Me growing up to put my stamp on the athletic pro- “I believe that God has led me in the
coach to work as an athletic director, in this area, living in the area, close gram in the community.” position that I am in to impact young
just kind of see the change in the di- to the area, gives me an opportunity Jason has found the staff to be people not only in the church, but in
rection we were going in. to be really vested in the community.” “awesome” and very welcoming. “I the school. I really value my position.
The Wayne Dispatch · August 2019 · 3