Spotlight Athletic Director Larry Walker

 None
None

— What is your official job title? Athletic director (and teacher).

What does being the athletic director at Pea Ridge entail? Pretty much overseeing the whole athletic program.

Where are you originally from? Houston, Mo.

Where did you go to college? I went two places - Three Rivers Junior College in Poplar Bluff, Mo., then I finished up at College of the Ozarks in Branson.

What is your degree in? Physical Education.

How long have you been in Pea Ridge? 25 years.

Is that how long you have been teaching and coaching? I taught four years in Missouri before I moved to Arkansas; I taught P.E. and Driver’s Ed.

What was your first ever job? I worked at a fullservice gas station, outside of hauling hay and mowing yards. I pumped gas, changed oil, fixed flats and there was a bay where we handwashed cars. I hated that.

Then what was your first job out of college?

Coaching in Hurley, Mo., basketball and baseball, for one year. Then I worked construction in Branson for a year then went to Gainsville, Mo., for three years coaching.

Did you play sports in high school or college?

I played everything I could get my hands on in high school and I played basketball in college. I went to junior college and 4-year on scholarship.

What is one of your most memorable moments playing sports or coaching them? That’s hard to say, I really don’t think I could pinpoint one, there’s been a lot of good ones through the years at Pea Ridge.

How has Pea Ridge changed over the 25 years you’ve been here? Number one is just growth.

When I first came here we had about 565 kids, K-12.

The growth and the facilities - we have nice buildings everywhere. The school as a whole is much, much better.

What are your hobbies outside of work? I love to fish and I like to golf.

What is the most important thing to teach students athletically? I’m going to say work ethic, it carries over into life. There’s a lot of life lessons in it (sports).

What’s the most challenging thing about being the athletic director? Everything continues to change, growth is a challenge. You have personnel changes - when that happens it’s important to find quality teachers and coaches that are a good fit.

Sports, Pages 7 on 01/20/2010