Behind every Pine Bush sports team, from golf to swimming, from football to soccer, and then to volleyball, there stands a support network. And no one in that network is more important than the Athletic Director. For Pine Bush High School that has been Harold Fried for the past decade.

Mr. Fried spoke about his eleven seasons at Pine Bush on a fall day, discussing some of the big changes he'd seen since he first arrived.

"Well, we added a modified team here or there. We brought on modified volleyball and lacrosse, and we also added JV lacrosse. Almost from inception those have been successful programs.

"Other changes, well, when I first came here, we had more three-sport athletes. But conversely, now there are more female three-sport athletes than there were."

Three-Sport Athletes are those who are active in a sport in each season through the year. The classic model was baseball-football-wrestling or basketball. Today there are many other models. Track-soccer-basketball is one example.

"The volleyball program has become a major power under Coach Kachelmeyer," continued Fried, discussing yet more changes he's seen. "In fact I don't remember when we last lost to local opposition. What makes that program so distinct is the way she has developed kids that might have been rejected by another sport, or come to her with no real volleyball experience. She's even had a couple of projects with young ladies who really lacked coordination, but by the time they graduated they were college prospects in the sport."

Fried also shared his thoughts on the athletic program in general.

"I see athletics as an integral part of the high school experience, along with other activities that are part of a school curriculum. Some children can express themselves better physically than academically, but for most I think it's important to get the chance to take part in a sport if they can. The social advantage of belonging to a team is important, too. So, my job is to make it possible for as many kids as possible to play a sport.

"Looking beyond that, as regarding the athletic department here in Pine Bush, I think we do very well with what we are given in the way of resources. We get slightly less than 1 percent of the budget to work with. Okay, sometimes the modified team will not be wearing the newest jerseys, but that's the way it is sometimes. Those kids can play, and that's the most important thing. And when they get to the JV level they get the new shirt."

Fried then discussed the current issues that were on his mind.

"Primarily, I would say, it's the outdoor sports fields. Three years ago we corrected the drainage problem on the football field. That happened after we had a game that couldn't be played because of the condition of the field. So we solved the drainage problem, but now we have a problem in this mysterious situation with the grass. What's up with soil that doesn't sustain the grass? Now, the District has a policy of not allowing pesticides and artificial fertilizers, and we agree with that. But with natural turf you always have maintenance issues. Every year, for instance, we have to replace two inches of top soil and re-grass the football field. Because with football, soccer and lacrosse played on that field, and everybody wearing cleats, they literally remove that much mud. Ask the guys who clean the locker rooms. In an ideal, holistic environment I guess we'd collect it all and put it back!"

Which led, inevitably, to Fried's discussion of artificial turf versus natural grass on the football field.

"The benefit of artificial turf, as I see it, is that you would know with certainty that on any given day you could go from having a soccer game, and then have a lacrosse game on the same field. Or you could have a soccer game one day and a football game the next and the field would not be damaged by the soccer game. "We have to balance the upfront cost of an artificial surface — about $1million — with the ongoing cost of maintenance, which means manpower and machinery and fertilizer and grass, plus giving the field a rest. That's something that applies to all our fields, of course."

So, besides the fields, what else would Fried like to improve?

"Well, we have a ten year, $10,000 a year program to refurbish our weight room. I would dearly love to get it out of the basement and into a room with windows. Let people see it. Because I think a lot of people might find it an attractive proposition and start using it, like faculty members for one, and then for those kids who maybe don't have the coordination or whatever to play a sport; they could still work out in the weight room. So that's one thing I dream about.

"Another thing would be the sign at the football field. Right now the sign is operated by a pair of dial up controllers, like old time telephone dials. A new sign would cost something like $10,000, and it would really improve the look of our field. But I know money's tight, so for now we'll just keep replacing the light bulbs."

And what about expansion possibilities?

"Modified Lacrosse is one thing I'd like to see. Girls golf, since we don't offer that now, though a lady golfer could play with the boys, and bowling."

Bowling?

"Yes," Fried smiles. "You have no upfront costs, no new fields or facilities, and it brings in kids who don't participate in any other sports. I like that thought."

Maybe bowling might mean that there may be some new three-sport athletes out there. Bowling, baseball and track, anyone?

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