Guzzo leads St. Joseph athletics forward

St. Joseph High School Athletic Director Kevin Guzzo was named Athletic Director of the Year by the Michigan High School Coaches Association (MHSCA) on September 1, recognizing his leadership and 23 years of service to St. Joseph athletics.  

For St. Joseph athletes and community members, Guzzo is a familiar face. Whether he is standing along the sidelines, organizing an event or making sure things are running smoothly behind the scenes, he has been a constant part of St. Joseph athletics. 

As Athletic Director, Mr. Guzzo oversees a program involving hundreds of student athletes, coaches, and competitions throughout the school year. While fans and student athletes see the final product on the field, court, pool, or track, much of an athletic director’s work happens before anyone arrives to compete. Schedules have to be arranged, scores need to be updated, officials need to be booked, and unexpected problems handled. 

But for Mr. Guzzo, the position has also been about the people behind the sports. 

“Just seeing our student athletes reach their full potential, seeing our athletes and programs doing the right thing, good sportsmanship, working hard, keeping good perspectives, things like that,” Guzzo said about the rewarding part of his job.  

Mr. Guzzo has spent years building St. Joseph Athletics both on and off the field. Along with overseeing the school’s sports teams, he puts time into running and updating the St. Joseph Athletics Instagram account, giving athletes and teams another way to have their accomplishments recognized. 

His involvement also carries over into student sports media. Mr. Guzzo works closely with the Maize and Blue sports media team, helping students cover St. Joseph athletics and giving opportunities for the community to dive deeper into aspiring athletes’ goals and attitude toward specific situations throughout the year. 

Over the years, he has taken leadership roles in the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA), spoken at the Athletic Department of Leadership and Culture, and has mentored other coaches and athletic administration.

 “I’ve been blessed with a lot of mentors in my life, so I’m at a point now where I feel like I should pay it forward,” Guzzo said. “I’ve had opportunities to speak at national conferences and to other high schools about what good cultures look like and what good leadership looks like.”

Long after a final score is forgotten, the experiences athletes gain from being part of a team can stay with them. For Mr. Guzzo, helping create those experiences has been a major part of his career. 

Athletic Director of the Year may be a title recognizing one person, but it also reflects years of work dedicated to the athletes, coaches and community that make up St. Joseph Athletics.