GLADSTONE — To start the new school year, there will be a new athletic director at Gladstone High School. However, the new AD will be someone familiar to the Gladstone community.

Dale Hongisto — who coached 13 years of boys basketball (seven varsity, five junior varsity and one freshman) and a pair as assistant for girls basketball at Gladstone — recently took over the duties of athletic director.

“Honestly, I am totally excited about it,” said Hongisto of his new position. “I hit the ground running about a month ago. I’ve been into work, and we’ve gotten a lot of things done in this one short month.

“It’s a position I’ve watched from afar for quite some time. … The position actually fits me perfectly. I’m really entrenched in the community, in the school district as I was an official (and) a coach. I know all the administrators, all the teachers.”

One thing Hongisto is anticipating is the chance to get to know those he will be working with even better.

“The one thing I’m looking forward to doing is building relationships with those students up at the high school and, of course, with all the teachers and everyone else up there,” he said.

So far, according to Hongisto, fitting into the role has been going smoothly.

“Quite honestly, it’s been a fairly easy transition because I know everybody up there, and I know what I need to do because of my background and athletics at our school,” he said but added things have been moving quickly. “It’s been very busy.”

A mutual interest, Hongisto said, between himself and the Gladstone administration led to him taking the position.

After several meetings between himself and the administrators, “We made it happen,” he said.

When it comes to the sports programs, Hongisto — who played four sports himself in high school — said he has a pretty good grasp on most of them, and for those he doesn’t, he is eager to learn.

“There’s a couple sports I need to learn a little bit about,” he said. “I don’t have a favorite sport. I’m excited just to get involved with all of them and develop relationships with the coaches. I already knew some of them and am getting to know a few others right now, and it’s going really well.

“I’m looking forward to learning about (the sports I don’t know as much about), and I’m going to learn about them by being at those events, watching and talking to coaches and officials.”

One of the constant fluctuating factors of the last year and a half has, of course, been COVID-19. Something Hongisto is well aware of.

“As of right now, everything is looking good,” he said. “Our fall practices started (Monday), masks aren’t required, the MHSAA came out with some guidance that we are basically following whatever each school’s administrators and school boards decide.

“So, as of right now, everything is looking good. But, as we saw over the last year and a half, we know that can change in a matter of minutes.”

Above all, though, Hongisto is excited about giving back to the community.

“I had all three of my children went to Gladstone schools,” he said. “It’s just a great fit. I am so looking forward to giving back to Gladstone schools because they’ve done so much for my family.”