A piece of Hamsher will remain a General, even as she moves on

“Once A General, Always a General.”That was one of the unifying measures that Keri Hamsher brought to Wooster when she was hired four years ago. Every elementary school in the district had its own nickname and colors, and even when Edgewood Middle School opted for the blue and gold of Wooster High, those athletes were Admirals.That isn’t the case today and Hamsher is proud of that unifying measure: She, too, will always be a General.That piece, though, is a little smaller today than it was a week ago as her four-year reign as athletic director at Wooster came to an end July 6 when she was asked to be – and accepted – the assistant principal position at Rittman.“I was not expecting anything like that,” said Hamsher. “It was a golden opportunity in my mind to join a school district that is going in the right direction. They are opening a new building that is (grades) six-12. They have the current high school principal … and the duties will be split throughout the building for the most part in grades six, seven and eight. It’s called the assistant principal, with an emphasis on the middle school.“I get to keep my hands in athletics without being in charge. I love athletics – it’s so important for kids. But, it’s also another side of education and this is an opportunity for me to grow professionally there.”Hamsher received an “exploratory” call July 1.“I was told the position was open and asked would I be interested in talking,” said Hamsher. “I wasn’t expecting that. I’m a firm believer that God opens doors, and it’s important to decide if He wants you to walk through. I said, ‘Yes, I’ll come talk and I’d love to hear what the job entails and find out more about your district.’“It was impressive. They have brand new buildings. It’s a new concept, six-through-12, they passed their levy by a 2-1 margin and their test scores are on the rise. … It’s a small system where you learn to know the kids and know the staff, and the community is supporting the school system. I thought, what better place to start the next portion of your career?“The head principal is phenomenal and everyone speaks highly of him,” she said. “I’m excited to work with someone like him – he’s a top-notch man. He loves the curriculum side, he gets along great with teachers – what better place to learn?”While excited about the opportunities before her, it wasn’t without a measure of regret she’s leaving Wooster.“I was here four full years and I thought I’d be here seven to eight at least,” she said. “I thought it would be a couple more years before my kids were getting more involved in things that I thought I’d have to make that decision.“As I look back, there are so many great things going on here. The kids are great, which is why those in education do what they do and you get to see them grow. Athletics were such a huge part of my life growing up and I want our kids to have the same opportunities I had and to get out, have fun and learn.“We’ve been second in the All-Sports Trophy every year I’ve been here and I believe Wooster athletics is on the rise. There are ups and downs in everything you do, but I had a great time at Wooster. I had a great coaching staff to work with and the community got on board with us. That was exciting to watch and I hope that continues for the next person coming in.”Hamsher was proud and equally aware of the importance of that.“The facility changes we had and the additions to our programs came with support from the community,” she said. “That was not something we did by ourselves. That was a partnership -- the community was ready to support us and that was the biggest plus.“One other thing that was great was the growth in the booster club moving forward in a positive direction. They helped put up the softball dugouts and bought new weights for the weight room. They are investing in our kids and their future and not just a little, but in a big way. When your boosters are doing that, it’s positive.”Part of that investment ties into one of Hamsher’s strengths, she said.“I like to think I’m a people person,” said Hamsher. “The way to lead is to empower people and let them run, and then assist them when they need assistance.”Ultimately, that strength helped Hamsher make that decision to change directions. She had been instrumental in getting Wooster’s female athletes to buy into a summer-long, six-days-a-week conditioning program, in part because she was in there doing the workouts with them.“Part of me being in the weight room and being hands-on is good for the coaches, too,” she said. “Whoever walks in the door next I hope they stay hands on. (Kids) learn from good modeling and teaching a kid to push beyond their limit is important. They need to see that.“I’m happiest when I’m around kids and hands-on. That’s when I’m happiest. I loved being AD. I’m sad to be leaving Wooster … but in this new position, I’ll be hands-on even more. That was crucial as to why I got into education and that’s the exciting part.“I hope everyone realizes how thankful and grateful I am for all their help and support. I could not do it alone. The amount of people who stepped up to the plate and helped the athletic department was great.”Hamsher’s last day on the job at Wooster will be July 31 and her first day at Rittman begins August 1. The search for Hamsher’s replacement officially began July 8.