Mark Shives, a Clear Spring graduate and former Blazers coach, has returned to the school to replace Ben Copenhaver as athletic director.
Mark Shives, a 1992 Clear Spring High School graduate, said that becoming the athletic director at his alma mater is "a dream come true."
After spending the previous 21 years working as a physical education teacher at Bester Elementary in Hagerstown, Shives took over as Clear Spring's AD on Aug. 1. He replaced Ben Copenhaver, who left to become an assistant principal at Boonsboro High School.
"I'm very excited," Shives said. "It's a trip around, I'm back full circle. I grew up in Clear Spring, I played at Clear Spring, my kids went to Clear Spring. It's an opportunity for me to come back and be a part of the community again."
Shives also was a longtime varsity baseball coach at Clear Spring. In his final game, the Blazers won their first state baseball title in 42 years, defeating Colonel Richardson 11-3 in the Maryland Class 1A final on May 28, 2022.
Three months later, three of his players were killed in an automobile accident, including his 16-year-old son, Kannon.
A few months after that, Shives stepped down as coach.
"We won the state title, and then there was the tragedy with the three boys," he said. "I made a pact with Kannon on his last day that if he couldn't wear a uniform that I wasn't going to wear one either.
"After Kannon's passing, I kind of stepped away from athletics. This (job) gives me an opportunity to come back and be part of the community and be back with the kids and the town."
Copenhaver served as Clear Spring's AD for four years, along with being an assistant principal at the school.
"Ben and I sat down, and he helped me transition in," Shives said. "Kudos to Ben. He's left me in a great place. He was in a tough spot. Now that I'm the athletic director, I don't know how he pulled off being an athletic director and an administrator. That's two important hats. I don't think people realize the amount of stress that he was under, and he handled it with grace."
Shives also will have an additional duty at Clear Spring.
"I'll teach phys ed in the morning, and then after lunch, I'll become the AD for the rest of the afternoon and evening," he said. "I still get to be in the classroom a little bit and the gym. To me, it's great. I still get a chance to interact as an educator, and at the same time, I get to get back into the sporting world with Clear Spring, this time in a different aspect. I can kind of just root and make sure everyone has what they want."
Clear Spring sports, as a whole, have been on the rise in recent years.
"I'm inheriting a great group of coaches," Shives said. "Everything is kind of laid out. It's just a matter now of finding what works and what doesn't work. It's no different than coaching.
"We have a lot of successful teams, and the community has always supported the athletes. Unless you've ever been a part of it, it's hard to explain. But Clear Spring is a diamond in the rough when you talk about community and athletics.
"I'm not coming in with any agenda. I've always been proud of the school and the athletic programs. I just want to keep moving the blue and gold forward."
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Mark Shives takes over as Clear Spring's athletic director
Category: General Sports
