Fitzpatrick resigns Hampden AD post > Brewer’s Leach leaves boys soccer job

Hampden Academy’s Ruth Fitzpatrick, who took over as athletic director just last year, has resigned from that position but will stay at the school as a physical education teacher and possibly as assistant athletic director.

Fitzpatrick said she wants to devote more time to her family, especially her daughter, who will be a senior at Hampden.

“I don’t want to have to make the choice of going to one of her events or going to an athletic event,” Fitzpatrick said. “I took this for one year to try it out and see how it was going to be. The time commitment is astronomical.”

Fitzpatrick is also working on a master’s degree in physical education at the University of Maine, and found this year that holding the athletic director’s position and studying for school was a struggle.

“It was athletics six days a week and then studying on Sunday, and Monday it started all over again,” said Fitzpatrick, who spent 20 years as the Hampden field hockey coach before becoming athletic director.

Sumner of East Sullivan principal Katie Donovan, who will take over as Hampden’s principal this summer, said the school has formed a search committee and will begin considering applicants in a few weeks.

Adam Leach, Brewer’s boys varsity soccer coach for the last year, is another coach leaving his job to pursue a master’s degree.

Brewer athletic director Dennis Kiah said that Leach told him the master’s classes and soccer practices would probably conflict.

Kiah added that the school will start looking for a new coach as soon as teaching positions are firmed up and assistant coach Dave Gregory decides whether to return to Brewer because Kiah would like to advertise both positions together.

Kiah said the school wants a candidate in place in time to be confirmed at the next Brewer school committee meeting in July.

Marty Bouchard has resigned as Hodgdon’s boys basketball coach.

Bouchard, who has led the Hawks to a 1996 Class C state championship and a 33-24 record in three seasons, is leaving his post to devote more time to his family – wife Karen and 15-month-old son Kyle – in addition to pursuing a master’s degree in administration.

The 29-year-old Bouchard also wants to work as a high school basketball official next winter.

“It’ll be fans slinging stuff at me instead of the parents,” Bouchard joked. “I really enjoy officiating and I want to pursue that. It’s less stressful, it’s good for me healthwise running around, and there’s less time commitment involved.”

Hodgdon athletic director Clark Rafford said Bouchard will be missed.

“But he’ll still be coaching in the program so we can go to him for his wisdom,” Rafford added.

Bouchard, who teaches health and physical education at the high school and will continue to be the varsity baseball coach, also wanted time to finish up his health education certification.

“It was a difficult decision for me because I love coaching and I had a good group of kids,” Bouchard explained. “It’s a pressure cooker-type job up here, but I have so many great memories and great experiences with the kids I’ve had to work with. Those are things that will never be replaced with me.”

The school will start looking for a new coach after Monday’s school board meeting. Rafford said he has already had several phone calls about the position.