Athletic director named new WHS assistant principal
By Catie Foertsch Community Reporter

Westborough High School Assistant Principal Brian Callaghan transitions into his new job.

Westborough - Popular Athletic Director Brian Callaghan, who helped usher in a new way of looking at athletics, has been promoted to assistant principal at Westborough High School (WHS). Callaghan will replace Douglas Dias, who has accepted the principal's position at Canton High School.

Athletics change

During the high school's re-accreditation process in 2003, the administration and the Athletic Department were prompted to look at the High School's athletic program differently.

Rather than sports being separate from academics, Callaghan said, "we're an extension of the school day. We're not separate; we're the other half of education."

As a result of this epiphany, the Athletic Department redefined its purpose and adopted the school's mission statement.

"We've aligned ourselves with the high academic standards of the school," Callaghan said. "We act with the same care and compassion and high standards."

High standards mean high expectations for student conduct in areas of performance and sportsmanship, which is something the district has always emphasized. What's new is the integration of academic style standards, just like standards are an integral component of a student's experience in the classroom. In math class, for example, students know that if they complete all homework and earn a grade of 90 percent or above on all tests, they'll receive A's on their report cards.

Now, when a student tries out for one of the sports where cuts are made, such as lacrosse, each student is told prior to tryout what criteria has to be met to make the team. Selecting team members is no longer an art, with a coach trying to predict which students will perform well even though they may be behind in physical conditioning or may not have attended all practices. Other elements that may have contributed to player selection, such as favoritism or politics, have also been eliminated, and the responsibility to make the team sits squarely on each student's shoulders.

While recognizing that a school's sports program is an extension of its academic program may seem obvious, in that the goal of both is to educate students and create productive citizens, Callaghan said WHS is in the forefront by extending curriculum-style standards to athletics.

"We're ahead of the curve," he said. "This is not done elsewhere."

Educator first

Callaghan comes from a family of educators, and started his career in education as a history and math teacher in New Hampshire, in 1993. He taught social studies in West Boylston from 1994 to 2000, and served as the district's part-time athletic director. In 2000 he came to Westborough as full-time athletic director. While he loves sports, Callaghan said his first love is education and the common ground education shares with sports.

"It's not just about winning the game," he said. "It's about instilling values that make a person a productive member of society."

As assistant principal, he'll have an impact on the whole student body, not just on those who participate in athletics. He'll be more directly involved with students who are struggling, and will work with the Guidance Department to help students get through whatever issues they're facing. He'll also work with teachers on curriculum issues, as well as on supervision and evaluations.

To Callaghan, this promotion is "the logical next step."

"I'm looking forward to working with [new WHS principal] John Smith to take Westborough High School and its programs to a new level," he said.