Louisa, Ky. — Longtime administrator and Lawrence Co. assistant softball coach Sam Sparks was the recipient of the 2024 Jim Watkins Award of Excellence.
The Jim Watkins Award of Excellence recognizes an individual whose loyalty, dedication, and service to the KHSADA and contributions to the profession which represents excellence in the field of athletic administration. Once nominated, nominees remain in consideration for a period of three years.
Sam retired with 32 years in public education with stops at Lawrence County, Sheldon Clark, and Russell High Schools. He had the role of special needs and physical education teacher at all those schools along with various coaching assignments as head basketball coach and assisting in almost all other sports.
Sam was named the athletic director at Russell High School in 2001 and held that position until his retirement in the fall of 2017. He was an active member of the 16th region policy board serving as chairperson for several years and was the KHSADA 16th region board representative for many years.
Sparks served as president of the KHSADA from 2014-2016. He attended several NIAAA section 2 meetings and ‘learned quickly not to ride with Arthur Ballard on the West Virginia Turnpike’. He was also active in attending national conferences in New Orleans, Indianapolis, Orlando, Nashville and moderating a workshop at National Harbor in Maryland.
He was the recipient of the NIAAA Award of Merit in 2015 and was named the 2017 winner of the Father Hay Jansing Athletic Director of the Year Award for the KHSADA.
Sam has continued to assist the KAA4 as an advisor and is on the conference staff.
He now resides in Blaine, Kentucky with his lovely wife of 37 years, Cynthia. Sam is employed with the Lawrence Co. schools as a virtual education facilitator and assistant softball coach.
