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Sunday Chat with longtime Lake athletic director Dave Shaffer

Sunday Chat with longtime Lake athletic director Dave Shaffer

Sunday Chat is a weekly feature appearing in the Blade’s print and digital platforms each Sunday.

Dave Shaffer has become synonymous with Lake Flyers sports, dedicating nearly 40 years of his professional career to the Lake Local School District.

Shaffer, a 1982 Lake graduate, has been the athletic director at the high school since 1999. Shaffer, who grew up in Millbury, also served as an athletic trainer, teacher, head varsity softball coach, and assistant varsity coach in football and baseball.

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After 39 years of service in the Lake Local School District, Shaffer is retiring after the 2022-23 school year ends.

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The biggest challenge faced by Shaffer and the Lake community occurred after a devastating tornado struck Lake Township on June 5, 2010. Seven people died and more than 100 buildings were destroyed, including the high school and football stadium.

Lake High School was rebuilt from scratch and opened in time for the 2012-2013 school year. Shaffer had played football on the field that was destroyed.

Just three months later, the new 4,600-seat Lake Community Stadium opened, complete with new lights, scoreboard, visitors' bleachers, and synthetic turf.

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In 1988, Shaffer earned a Bachelor of science degree from the University of Toledo in Education and Athletic Training. He then received a master's in education degree from Bowling Green State University in 1994.

Shaffer began volunteering as an athletic trainer and coach in 1983 at Lake while studying at UT. He was an athletic trainer from 1988-96 before coaching football, baseball, and softball. He was assistant athletic director from 1988-98 before taking over as AD the next year.

Shaffer also taught physical education, weight training, and special education in the district.

He also served as an Ohio High School Athletic Association tournament manager from 1991-2023.

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Shaffer and his wife Lisa have three adult children. Alyssa, Ryan, and Megan all graduated from Lake High School. He also has two grandchildren.

The Blade: What will you miss the most about being an Athletic Director?

Shaffer: I’ve only ever worked in the Lake Local School District. I enjoyed the countless relationships with the coaches, athletes, and many volunteers who have made the Lake School District a great place to spend a big part of my life at.

Blade: What makes Lake high school and the community there such a special place?

Shaffer: It’s a tight-knit community. Most people stay within the community, so we see many generations of families. It’s also a strong community that supports our athletic programs.

Blade: How would you describe how much time it takes to be an effective administrator?

Shaffer: It definitely is often a 24/7 type of job. Lots of work at home, making phone calls, answering emails. You have to be available to so many people (athletes, coaches, parents, staff members, volunteers, businesses) and for so many things at any time. Most importantly, I have a very supportive and understanding family that has allowed me to do what I’ve loved doing for so many years.

Blade: I would have to imagine the deadly tornado in 2010 presented the biggest challenges both from an emotional viewpoint and also in the daunting task of rebuilding the facilities there. What can you tell me about that day?

Shaffer: I had only been home for a few hours after putting equipment away from our annual golf outing and after a short nap I began to hear the tornado sirens. I received a call that there may be some roof damage at the school, so I decided to head up to the school. We had a bad wind storm a month prior so I was expecting to see similar damage. When I got to school I couldn’t pull into the driveway because of the large chunks of concrete and bricks strewn everywhere. I could hear what sounded like a jet taking off at the airport across the street and realized the Columbia Gas building on Lemoyne Road had been destroyed and it was the gas line that was severed. I left my car on the road, as we approached the buildings with flashlights. It was only then that we could see the destruction everywhere, particularly the high school building. More than half of the high school was gone and other buildings had major damage. Vehicles and buses were tossed around. It was a night that I’ll never forget.

Blade: What can you tell me about the community and how it stepped up to rebuild the facilities there?

Shaffer: The community really came together to help one another. So many people volunteered their time and skills to make everything possible, not only at the school but in the Village of Millbury and surrounding areas as well. This tragedy really brought our community together and made us stronger.

Blade: What went into accomplishing that feat, including the new football stadium there?

Shaffer: Our administrative group met early in the morning and began a plan on how to move forward. There were so many things to address and without the team effort of so many people, we would not have been able to have been so successful. From an athletic standpoint, our football stadium was our biggest challenge after the tornado. We wanted the kids to be able to play in their stadium in only two months. So it took a lot of coordination and collaboration and long hours of so many people to accomplish this feat. The community needed somewhere that we could all come back together so we wanted the stadium to be special. It is why we chose to name the stadium “Lake Community Stadium.”

Blade: What other achievements are you most proud of?

Shaffer: I’m proud of the Flyer Club that I created in 2000. The Flyer Club is a group of many volunteers: skilled tradesmen, game support staff, and local businesses donating funds or equipment. I enjoyed all the relationships that came from working with so many great people in the community to make all the improvements and additions to our athletic facilities over the years.

Blade: What are some of the performances that stick out to you?

Shaffer: There are many, but the one that sticks out the most was the 61-game winning streak our varsity girls basketball team had and the huge crowds that came to watch the girls play.

Blade: Who are some of your favorite athletes and coaches that you have worked with?

Shaffer: There are many over the years, but for coaches two stick out the most, legendary baseball coach and hall of famer Greg Wilker and Denny Meyer, who coached varsity girls basketball. There are many athletes and I don’t want to leave anyone out.

Blade: What are the most significant changes you've seen in high school sports over the years?

Shaffer: A negative would be the decline in participation numbers across sports, possibly because of travel sports gaining more popularity. A positive would be seeing more athletes making it to the next level. There are so many more opportunities for kids now to play at the next level.

Blade: What part of the job do you like the most?

Shaffer: I enjoyed getting to complete upgrades/additions to all of our athletic facilities to make them the best they could be for our student-athletes. That was made possible by volunteers and businesses making donations to the Flyer Club. I enjoyed running all the OHSAA tourneys over the years as well.

Blade: What part of the job will you not miss?

Shaffer: I won’t miss the late nights throughout the year.

Blade: What aspects of the job might surprise people?

Shaffer: I think people would be surprised by how much preparation goes into each season and each contest. There’s a good amount of paperwork needed for various items that require you to be very organized as well. There is so much more to do, than just being present at the contests.

The Blade: Why did you decide to step down now?

Shaffer: After almost four decades of serving the Lake School District it was time for me to spend my evenings with my family and grandkids. I have missed a lot of time and moments with my family over the years and now I can enjoy the evenings and weekends with them.

First Published April 16, 2023, 1:00 p.m.

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