During his time as head coach for the varsity softball team, Jeff Roberts’s roster has never had more than 30 players for him to keep in line. But as the new school year begins, a look at Roberts’s roster now shows he’s closing in on the 1,500 mark.

In addition to his duties with the softball team, Roberts will serve as one of the three assistant principals on staff this year, specializing in student behavior and discipline.

“I have always been interested in getting into administration,” Roberts said. “My mother served as a principal in Plano, and growing up I always knew I wanted to be an administrator to be able to help more kids on a broader scale. And so I applied, and they created a position for me where I didn’t have to give up my time with the softball team.”

Roberts said that the growing student population necessitated a third assistant principal to be added to the staff. Roberts joins assistant principals Bruce Coachman and Julie Hirsh, as well as associate principal Teresa Dodson.

“We all have our own specialties that we deal with,” Roberts said. “Coachman and Hirsh will be dealing with the academic side of each of their parts of the alphabet, while I will be dealing with a decent amount of the behavioral side, and Dodson will be handling more of a curriculum-based role.”

When he wasn’t out on the softball field last year, Roberts could be found teaching his government class, a position Roberts said he unfortunately had to give up in order to take on his new responsibilities this school year.

“I love government and teaching the histories, but realistically anytime a teacher moves into an administrative role, they’re going to have to give up that teaching slot,” Roberts said. “I’ve really enjoyed the time I’ve spent working with our history department and with the individuals that have taken over, I have full confidence will take that class even more forward.”

As the interview process for the new position began, Mayfield said that it became clear how much Roberts brought to the table.

“While Roberts has been teaching at the school, he’s also been getting his masters in administration,” Mayfield said. “Roberts brings so many great things from his knowledge as a teacher with kids and being a part of the school already, in addition to great organizational and people skills. It was really a great fit.”

Sophomore Leah Taylor said she got to see Roberts’s leadership and commitment to students firsthand on the varsity softball team last year.

“Coach Roberts is very dedicated to his work and is organized in everything he does,” Taylor said. “He is detail-oriented and has a passion for helping students succeed.”