Looking back, Gifford has had much to be proud of during his tenure as athletic director. It has not been an easy job for him, especially while teaching five classes a day and coaching three sports. “He’s extremely thorough,” Hansen said. “He will dot every ‘I’ and cross every ‘T’ and make sure we are doing everything right. He’s incredibly organized and gets everything done on time.” Before teaching at Avon, Gifford served in the Peace Corps in Costa Rica from 1976-79. It was here that he developed his love for teaching. He explained that his job in the Peace Corps was the same as at Avon, teaching kids how to play basketball and baseball. Gifford also played professional basketball in Costa Rica and loved the country so much, he bought property there, which he still visits regularly.
Costa Rica RPCV Richard Gifford retires as athletic director at Avon High
Longtime athletic director at Avon High retiring
Tim Correira/GateHouse News Service
Richard Gifford of Weymouth is retiring as athletic director at Avon High School.
By Matt Tempesta
GATEHOUSE NEWS SERVICE
Posted Mar 12, 2009 @ 09:32 PM
Last update Mar 12, 2009 @ 10:04 PM
AVON —
Richard Gifford has long been a fixture at Avon High School.
The long-time teacher, coach and athletic director has been a busy man since first arriving at Avon High in 1980.
Today however, after 10 successful years as athletic director, the Avon stalwart will retire from his office duties. On April 3, Gifford will retire from his teaching position as well.
“It’s going to be a very emotional time,” said Gifford of his final weeks at the school. “I think, in their minds, they thought I was never going to retire.”
It won’t be an easy transition to make for Gifford, 55, who will be leaving the only place he has ever worked.
A math and chemistry teacher at Avon High since 1980, Gifford has coached boys basketball since 1993, has served as athletic director since 1999 and had coached baseball since 1983 before retiring from that position in 2007.
“April 3 is going to be a tough day,” said the Weymouth resident. “It was very difficult when I retired as baseball coach. This has been my life since 1980.”
Even though he’s stepping down as a teacher and athletic director, Gifford said he will stay on as boys basketball coach next season.
Throughout his time as a coach at Avon, Gifford’s teams have known nothing but success.
As baseball coach, Gifford won more than 300 games along with nine Mayflower League championships.
Gifford also won more than 300 games as boys basketball coach and has made six state championship appearances, winning four of them in the mid- to late-1990s.
“He’s built, for a small school, a very successful sports program,” said Avon High principal Sharon Hansen. “Our students and our fans display great sportsmanship and it’s a well-run program.”
While winning championships is a great accomplishment for Gifford, the real joy of his involvement with sports over the years has come from the students he has coached.
“As an athletic director, it’s very special to me on a daily basis seeing kids play athletics and compete and do things to the best of their ability,” Gifford said.
Since becoming principal three years ago, Hansen has seen how Gifford relates to the students at Avon and knows how much the youngsters respect him.
There isn’t much Gifford wouldn’t do for a student, according to Hansen.
“He always takes care of the kids, Hansen said. “Even if it means buying a hockey stick for a kid who needs one and can’t afford one. That kid will have a hockey stick by the end of the day, I guarantee you.”
Among Gifford’s other accomplishments has been helping to form the Avon-Holbrook coop hockey team and the Holbrook-Avon coop football team.
Looking back, Gifford has had much to be proud of during his tenure as athletic director. It has not been an easy job for him, especially while teaching five classes a day and coaching three sports.
“He’s extremely thorough,” Hansen said. “He will dot every ‘I’ and cross every ‘T’ and make sure we are doing everything right. He’s incredibly organized and gets everything done on time.”
Before teaching at Avon, Gifford served in the Peace Corps in Costa Rica from 1976-79. It was here that he developed his love for teaching.
He explained that his job in the Peace Corps was the same as at Avon, teaching kids how to play basketball and baseball. Gifford also played professional basketball in Costa Rica and loved the country so much, he bought property there, which he still visits regularly.
Replacing Gifford as athletic director will be Greg Thomas, a resident of Middleboro, who is also involved with Avon athletics. Thomas currently coaches junior varsity baseball at Avon and is an assistant football coach for Holbrook-Avon.
Aside from coaching, Thomas also teaches Avon’s alternative classes.
While emotions will be running high today and over the next several weeks, Gifford can look back at his 29 years at Avon knowing that he is leaving behind a positive legacy.
“Hopefully, the athletic department improves and they perceive me as someone who was very organized and very hard working,” Gifford said. “I truly enjoyed all my years at Avon. It’s been a good run and I’m going to miss it.”
