Interims ready for new challenges
By: Justin Feil – Assistant Sports Editor
With the departure of Athletic Director John Levandowski, Scott Bertoli and Kat Smithson are adjusting to new offices and new responsibilities.
Bertoli and Smithson will work under interim titles this year, each moving up one spot with Bertoli now acting as athletic director and Smith as associate athletic director. New field hockey coach MC Heller is the administrative assistant to the athletic director to fill Smithson’s former position. Levandowski is the athletic director at St. Mark’s School in Massachusetts.
"For me, it’s good experience," said Bertoli. "It’s an opportunity to see if it’s something I really want to do. I have different responsibilities. It’s a lot of managing personalities and personnel. I think I’m up to the task."
Bertoli spent three years as associate AD under Levandowski. He also is the PDS boys hockey coach, and will remain so while assuming the athletic director job.
"Having the opportunity to work and learn under him provided me with tons of experience that I don’t think you’d get otherwise if you were new and stepped into this position," Bertoli said. "He was great about it. He always kept me in the loop and kept me knowledgeable about the decisions being made. I’m given this year to try my hand at this at PDS."
Smithson, who coaches girls ice hockey, also is looking forward to the challenges that come with her new role, but she and Bertoli will be helping each other adjust to the changes.
"We worked closely together before," Smithson said. "There’s definitely going to be a little learning curve. He’s really pointing me in the right direction and providing some positive guidance for me.
"It’s been a great opportunity for me, and I’m excited about the position," she added. "The toughest thing right now is you have coaches coming in for the spring season and it’s going to be a challenge to look that far ahead and at the same time looking at this season and concentrating on it. It’s a little juggling there."
Bertoli will be managing the athletic staff and dealing with parents. There are 80 to 90 coaches, Bertoli said, and working closely with them will be a big move from the past three years.
"A lot of what I did was a lot of tangible stuff," he said. "Ordering equipment and uniforms, handling the schedule, making sure fields were ready for practices and games. I attended some of the state and county meetings. John attended all of them, so I’ll have to be at them.
"The brunt of the work," he added, "comes during the season when games arise."
Smithson, too, feels ready for a new set of tasks and looks forward to the next step in her professional development.
"I have learned a lot from Scott," she said. "He has excellent communication.
"With what I’ll be doing, scheduling is huge, the finances I work with Scott on – all the budgets. Training MC as well, as well as equipment needs and team orders. And outside field rentals."
They are hoping to keep the PDS athletic department running smoothly through the year. Bertoli knows that will take everyone being on board together.
"We do have a very qualified and experienced coaching staff," Bertoli said. "My message to them was to have an open line of communication with your parents. I think that can alleviate a lot of issues. I think our coaches will do a wonderful job."
To accommodate the winter season when both are coaching hockey, Heller’s hours will shift to cover any holes in the schedule. But Bertoli and Smithson can’t both be on the ice at the same time at PDS.
"I think it’ll be a little bit of a change," Smithson said. "I don’t think it’ll be too drastic. We’ve been handling it the last three years. It just takes figuring out each other’s schedules and making it work. It’ll be a bigger challenge this year because we’re both holding bigger roles.
"MC and Luke (Hensel), the athletic trainer, and Chuck Papp (PDS’ equipment manager) will help a lot. Harry Rulon-Miller has been here a while and runs the rink. Our whole athletic department is going to be the key in helping us succeed this year. Overall, we have a great internal athletic staff. We all know the situation at hand and will help out. We’re all looking to pitch in and not just make it through the year, but make it a great year and set us up for a great year next year."
Both intend to keep a high profile at PDS athletic events. The two have been busy ensuring that the PDS community and the community beyond know of the changes to their positions this year. They are looking forward to the challenges that their new posts will bring and how they will meet them.
"It’s the best of both worlds," Smithson said. "You get to try a new position, but at the end you can always go back. It’s a fantastic chance to try something new, challenge ourselves individually and really rise to the occasion. Whatever happens next year, we’d be ready to stay where we are, or we’d be ready to transition back."

