Ponte Vedra High School names Eric Frank new athletic director

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Ponte Vedra High School (PVHS) has a new athletic director, and his name is Eric Frank.

Paul Abbatinozzi, the senior director for school services for the St. Johns County School District, said Frank was recently chosen for the job because he brings a wealth of experience in running an athletic program as a team. This is Frank's 15th year in the county. Prior to getting the job as athletic director, he was a coach and teacher for 14 years and an employee with the St. Johns County School District. His most recent assignment was coaching cross country at Creekside High School.

"He brings to the table quite a bit with regard to the focus on building relationships,” Abbatinozzi said. "With regard to coaches and parents and student athletes and that concept, he stresses the importance of pursuing victory with honor and blending that into the athletic program."

The athletic director will facilitate the sports programs at PVHS and collaborate with coaches to ensure they are following policy. For Frank, the job offers him a chance to teach student athletes how to develop leadership skills and teamwork.

"It's about creating a team of coaches who are on the same page with me on the importance of high school athletics and the full development of a student athlete," Frank said. "I really view high school athletics as a co-curricular. It's an extension of the classroom where I think coaches have a unique opportunity to continue the learning process for high schools."

The new athletic director asserted that high school sports shouldn’t just be about wins and losses but about helping students grow into positive contributors to society.

Frank, who graduated from Florida State University, has been living in St. Johns County for most of his life. This is the first time he has ever held the title of athletic director, but Frank said he treated his teams at Creekside as if he was the director of the sports program itself.

"I'm new to athletic directing but not new to athletics, to St. Johns County," he said, "I'm really eager and excited."

Frank said his short-term goal is to immerse himself in the community to show locals that he's committed to further developing PVHS’ sports programs. His long-term goal, he added, is to help build the athletic department and facilitate student growth in the area of leadership.

"Long-term, I just want to share with the rest of our coaching staff that it's about character development and helping parents raise kids that have the correct values," he said.

Abbatinozzi noted that former PVHS athletic director David Scott was not dismissed. Rather, Abbatinozzi said he elected to go back into teaching in the classroom and has accepted a position elsewhere in St. Johns County. According to Abbatinozzi, Scott's departure was a personal choice and not performance-related.