Joe Gallant has a busy couple of weeks ahead of him. Gallant, the principal of Old Town High, will also be handling athletic director duties with Greg Thibodeau sidelined until later this month.

Thibodeau is out on medical leave – Gallant declined to elaborate – until about Oct. 16th.

Until then, Gallant, assistant principal Brett Hoogterp and educational technician Lester Cowan will be running the school’s athletic events.

Hoogterp, who is new to Old Town this fall, was the athletic director at Messalonskee of Oakland last school year. Cowan is also the school’s softball coach.

Thibodeau will be back in time to help conduct interviews for three winter sports head coaching positions that are still open. The school still needs girls basketball, hockey and swimming coaches.

Gallant doesn’t mind the extra work.

“Hey, it keeps me young,” he said with a laugh. “I didn’t want a life, anyway.”

DSA trip tryouts Sunday

If you’re a high school or younger college-aged soccer player interested in a little world travel, the Dutch Soccer Academy will be holding tryouts for its spring 2007 trip to Italy and Switzerland.

The Caribou-based DSA will be at True Park in Hope on Sunday to look at high school players ages 14-and-over, and college players younger than 21.

The tryout be held from 2 to 3:30 p.m. and costs $10.

The Spain group will consist of one boys team and one girls team with a combined maximum of 50 players. All participants who make the final teams must make a $625 nonrefundable deposit by Sunday, Oct. 29.

The total cost of the trip, which includes all travel and lodging in a hotel, breakfasts and dinners, matches, training sessions, tourist activities and a uniform, is $2,500. Daily lunches and the cost of a passport are not included.

For more information go to www.dutchsocceracademy.com.