In any school district, student engagement and involvement can be seen as a three-legged stool of academics, activities and athletics. In DCSD, two of those three legs are supervised, along with student leadership, by our guests for this episode: Derek Chaney, director of Activities, Athletics, and Student Leadership, and Brad Wiidakas, assistant director for the department. Both have been with DCSD for decades, and Chaney is retiring after this school year. This super-sized episode is both a tribute to Chaney’s leadership and accomplishments as well as a deep dive into the hard work and long hours that both men invest in an organization with countless moving parts but a simple, straightforward mission: “It’s all about the kids.”

Guests this week

• Derek Chaney, director of Activities, Athletics, and Student Leadership
• Brad Wiidakas, assistant director of Activities, Athletics, and Student Leadership

Resources

• DCSD Athletics webpage
• DCSD Activities webpage
• Students and Coaches in the News