SOUTH DEERFIELD — The Frontier Regional athletic department will have a new leader this fall.
Dave Sanschagrin — who previously served as the athletic director at Southwick High School — was hired to replace Carl Cyr as the Redhawks’ athletic director.
“It’ll be a challenge to follow [former Frontier athletic directors] Carl [Cyr] and Marty [Sanderson] and keeping the program as competitive and incredible as it is,” Sanschagrin said. “Frontier has always been one of the model athletic programs in Western Mass. I’m excited to be part of it. Hopefully I can keep it going by giving the coaches and the athletes what they need to be successful.”
What is Sanschagrin inheriting at Frontier? An athletic program with a long history of success that won a state championship and five Western Mass. titles last year alone.
Last fall, the Redhawks girls volleyball team won their 17th consecutive Western Mass. championship while also taking home the MIAA Div. 5 state championship. Frontier’s boys soccer team won the Western Mass. Class B championship while making it to the Div. 4 Final Four for the second straight year.
The Frontier field hockey team defeated Greenfield in the Western Mass. Class C championship game before making a run to the Div. 4 quarterfinals in the state tournament. The Redhawks reached the state tournament in girls soccer and the football team closed out the regular season with a 5-3 record, finishing 21st in the Div. 5 power rankings.
Frontier had success during the winter season. The Redhawks boys basketball team closed out the season strong to make it into the Div. 4 state tournament while its girls basketball team also reached the Div. 4 state tournament. Two Frontier wrestlers — Conner Hoffman and Jake Mattson — won Western Mass. individual titles.
The success continued in the spring. Frontier’s baseball team got over the hump and won the Western Mass. Class C title while its softball team made a run to the Round of 16 of the Div. 5 state tournament after reaching the semis the year prior.
The Redhawks won their second straight Western Mass. Class C title in boys volleyball — a program that started just two years ago — while both the Frontier boys and girls tennis teams made it to the Div. 4 state tournament. On the track, Frontier’s boys and girls teams each captured Intercounty League titles.
“I hope I can keep the teams competitive,” Sanschagrin said. “I’ve been really impressed with the experience and commitment level of the coaches who are in place here. It makes my job as the AD easier, having coaches that have been there, done that. Things go much smoother. The parent communication is a huge part of what they do here and the coaches are so good at that.
“I see my job here as a facilitator and communicator,” Sanschagrin continued. “I’m there to make sure they have all the information they need, get the buses, officials and all those other logistic things they need to be successful.”
Inheriting a school with strong programs, Sanschagrin said he’s going to use the first year building relationships both in the school and in the community.
“My goal this year is to get the lay of the land, see where things are and assess and be ready to move forward,” Sanschagrin said. “My focus is on getting to know the people, the coaches, the students and the parents and build those relationships and become part of the community. It’s a tight-knit community here which is great. I’m an outsider right now so I’m hoping to integrate myself within the community.”
One other goal for Sanschagrin is to add more unified sports at Frontier. The Redhawks already have a unified basketball team, but Sanschagrin mentioned both unified weightlifting and track as sports he’d like to add in the future.
Sanschagrin — who spent a year as an assistant athletic director at Granby High School before spending four years as Southwick’s AD — has plenty of experience when it comes to athletics. From serving as a hockey referee for 33 years, an umpire, coaching numerous youth sports teams, serving on numerous MIAA and PVIAC committees to name a few, he hopes all those experiences and relationships along the way can help him on the job.
“A big part of success in this role is relationships,” Sanschagrin said. “It’s relationships both in the school but also with all the athletic directors in your area and in the state. You want to have people you can call and say what you have going on and get their take on it. Having those relationships is invaluable and it’s valuable to have those from my time in those other places. I have a lot of experience and have worn a lot of hats in athletics. Hopefully all that experience can serve me well.”