In his first season running sports for the Pelham school district, Athletic Director Joe Toombs III said his goals include making athletics “a warm, welcoming environment” and ensuring equity in the program.

“For the students that decide to come to play sports or who decide to opt into athletics” the schools need to “honor the fact that they have chosen to spend the discretion of their time with us,” said Toombs, whose full title is director of physical education, health and athletics.

Toombs was hired in May from the East Ramapo Central School District, replacing Christian Hodge, who resigned in February. He has worked for 20 years in physical education, spending fifteen of them as an educator and five in administration.

On equity, Toombs said, “You have to have equitable practices with this. These are opportunities for everybody who decides to lace them up and give us their free time to play our sports, so we must honor that.”

Last fall, athletes on the varsity girls soccer and varsity field hockey teams, as well as the varsity boys soccer squad, charged the football team was benefiting from preferential treatment in scheduling practice times.

Toombs said he is deeply committed to his new role and aspires to make physical education a positive experience that is accessible to everyone.

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