StM News

In the 2024-25 issue of The Bell, we sat down with new Athletic Director Kevin Dizer to get his thoughts on all things StM Athletics.

Q: How do you define a successful school athletic program? 
A: Success is so much more than wins and losses. The wins and losses come and go. Success in an athletic program is when we are giving our student-athletes the best support and best platform to thrive in their sports. The most defining element of success is knowing that our student athletes are prepared to move on to the next phase of their lives, and that they have learned lessons in their respective sports to help them. 

Q: What are your immediate priorities for the athletic department in your first year? 
A: The most immediate priority for me is to build relationships, and establish trust with as many faculty, staff, students, and stakeholders of St. Martin’s as I possibly can. From there, I want to build on the existing strengths of our athletic programs to ensure every team has a stable, supportive foundation to grow and thrive.

Q: How do you plan to support student-athletes across all levels, from varsity standouts to beginners trying something new? 
A: We take a ground-up approach, introducing Lower School students to a wide variety of sports in PE to spark interest and build foundational skills. In Middle School, we focus on preparing students for competition while encouraging broad participation, knowing they’re still developing the potential to compete at the varsity level. In Upper School, our priority is hiring exceptional coaches who embrace St. Martin’s mission and providing athletes with the best possible facilities for training and competition.

Q: What role do you believe athletics plays in shaping school spirit and community at a place like St. Martin’s? 
A: Community is what makes St. Martin’s truly special. Athletics plays a major part of that, along with our academics and the arts. Athletics has always been an arena that the community can rally around and bring us all together. We will continue to grow that spirit across our campus using athletics to help. 

Q: What’s one lesson you’ve learned through sports that you still carry with you today? 
A: Sports have taught me so much in life, and I’m grateful to be able to pass many of those lessons along. The most valuable lesson has been learning how to handle adversity and failure. I’ve learned to embrace difficult times and push through them. Without playing sports — and having strong mentors along the way — I’m not sure I’d be as equipped to do that.