Blechle transitioning to new role
It's been a busy semester for Jeremy Blechle.
The Chester High School football coach, baseball coach, dean of students, teacher and soon-to-be-athletic director is in a transition period, as he will assume his new position of assistant principal/athletic director on July 1.
"There's a lot more that goes into being an AD than just wearing the title of 'AD,'" Blechle said. "That is for sure. One of the most important traits you have to have are organization and communication and that is going to be one of my main focuses is to make sure lines of communication are open."
Blechle was asked the difference between the dean of students and assistant principal roles.
"It comes with more responsibilities," Blechle said. "I already handled the discipline and the attendance, that was my area I needed to improve as far as the high school was concerned.
"Some of the things I think will be included with that (as assistant principal), will be teacher (evaluations) and I'll have the whole day dedicated to it because I was still in the classroom as dean of students and that took more than half the day fulfilling teacher duties."
The district has a policy that personnel in administrative roles cannot coach, and thus, the football and baseball head coaching positions for the 2017-18 school year came open and could be filled soon.
"The thing I love about our administration here at the school is they don't fire from the hip," Blechle said. "It isn't just close your eyes and pick a candidate, they get the people together who need to be the ones involved in deciphering if it's the best candidate or not."
Blechle has said he has heard many positive comments from players about the transition and will have some input into the process of determining the school's next baseball and football coaches.
"The biggest ones I worry the most about are the juniors because they will now experience their third head football coach," Blechle said.
Blechle could also coach the baseball Yellow Jackets for the last time this spring.
"Emotional, because this has all taken place over the last several months and there's been a lot of evaluating, thinking, looking at different scenarios about if I did this, this happens," he said, when asked his thoughts on his potentially final season. "It scares me a little bit, I think, when summer workouts start for football and I'm not able to grab that whistle and put that together, I think it will really settle in and freak me out."
Blechle enters this season in second place in career wins as CHS baseball coach with 120, and has led the Yellow Jackets to four straight conference titles (2012-2015) and a regional title (2014) during his tenure.
Jeff Kordys owns the wins record with 179.
"Every game will seem like a biological clock, I guess," Blechle said. "Whenever that final game is over, it will be scary.
"But I do know this. Since it is possibly my last season, I will put every ounce of my energy and time I can to make it as successful I can be for this group of Yellow Jackets. I want to go out knowing I did the best I could."
Chester opens the season on March 17 in the Valle Catholic baseball tournament before welcoming Steeleville for the home opener on Feb. 20.