William Hetzer, Sr.
June 1, 2007
Gerald Hite, Sr.
June 8, 2007
Sterling Washington is passionate about sports.
As recreation director of Terrebonne Parish, he gets to pursue this passion through planning and supervising a bevy of sporting and leisure activities throughout the community.
The SportsNet recently caught up with Washington to kibitz about sports and the many responsbilities of his job.
SportsNet: Describe your job at the recreation department? What is it that you do?
Sterling Washington: My job is to supervise the preparation and execution of a variety of leisure time activities for the residents of the parish. We are trying to promote safety first by encouraging fun and competition through recreational sporting and leisure time activities.
SN: Can the job get tough at times?
SW: I don’t look at my job as a tough thing. I view it as a necessary activity for the wellness of the community. Although, at times, tough decisions have to be made, I don’t have a problem making them.
SN: Any specific examples?
SW: It unfortunate, but at times we have to suspend coaches, kids, or officials participating in the programs for unsportsmanlike actions. Also at times, we have to remove and suspend spectators and parents for unsportsmanlike behavior being displayed in the stands.
SN: Briefly describe your background in sports. Wasn’t basketball a big part of your past?
SW: I graduated from H. L. Bourgeois High School where I played football, basketball and ran track. After High School I attended Copiah Jr. College on a basketball scholarship for one year. I then joined the U. S. Army.
During my time in the Army, I played on the All-Army Basketball Team. From the All-Army Basketball team, I attended University of Edinboro in Pennsylvania on a basketball scholarship.
After graduating from the University of Edinboro, I worked at the university as the assistant boys basketball coach for three years.
After coaching at the university, I coached at Ellender Memorial High School, (football and basketball).
As the head boys basketball coach, we won the Boys 4A State Basketball Championship in 1998.
SN: What do you think about the sports scene in Terrebonne Parish? Anything that makes it unique?
SW: I think the sports scene is Terrebonne Parish is continuing to improve and that improvement can be seen at the junior high and high school levels. It’s unique to have a variety of different programs to select from at the recreation level as well as a competitive level.
SN: Is your work fulfilling?
SW: It is rewarding to watch the youth of the parish grow up through the recreational programs and their hard work and dedication moves them forward, through the junior high, high school and into the collegiate programs.
Although the youth are participating in a sporting event, I feel there are many life skills learn through recreation and all sporting events.
Photo by CHRIS?SCARNATI * Sterling Washington brings a luminous sports background to his position as recreation director.
