By River Mitchell
@rivermitchell27
New Director of Athletic Operations Jim Kelley bleeds Springfield pride through and through. Kelley’s father was an alumnus, and he met his wife at Springfield when he was 19 years old, and has so many positive memories and friends that he cherishes to this day.
Kelley, who graduated from Springfield in 2013 with a degree in communications/sports journalism, works with the Athletics department overseeing all of the facility usage, equipment, practice planning and other tasks to make sure the athletic department runs smoothly. Kelley plays a vital role, with every piece of Springfield Athletics apparel going through Kelley in some fashion.
After graduating, Kelley first started working at The Rivers School in Weston, MA, in a communications role. Kelley was in charge of taking photos, writing articles and running social media accounts. Kelley was also taking his masters degree online at Southern New Hampshire University while working at The Rivers School as well.
The Rivers School is where Kelley really got his foot in the door. Eventually moving to working in the equipment room, the equipment manager went on family leave to help his wife who was recovering from surgery, and Kelley stepped into his role.
“I was able to get in there, work with the Athletics Department in their equipment room [and] really get a sense of what the operation looked like,” Kelley said. “[I also made] some updates that hadn’t been made in a really long time. That was a really cool internship experience.”
After finishing up at The Rivers School and SNHU, Kelley went to the Brooks School in North Andover, Mass., where he got a job as an Athletic Equipment Director before being promoted to Assistant Athletic Director. After that, he traveled out to Westhampton, Mass. to become the Athletic Director for Hampshire Regional High School. He held that position for two years, working in recruiting for his final year.
When the opportunity arrived for Kelley to come home to his alma mater, he pounced at the opportunity.
“When the opportunity to come back here popped up, it was like, ‘Yeah, I think that makes all the sense in the world,’” Kelley said. “This place means a lot to me, my family and my friends. It feels really good to be back.”
Kelley’s time in his new position has truly resembled a full circle moment. From meeting his wife, to then bringing his three kids to Alden Street, Kelley has been able to take a step back and truly appreciate it all.
“I’ve brought my kids here a couple of times to run around and watch the games and seeing them run around campus is another whole aspect that is really cool,” Kelley said. “I can always point to my wife and that I met when I was 19 years old here and how that changed my life fundamentally.”
Photo Courtesy of Springfield College Athletics