Cedar Crest’s Rick Dissinger named L-L Athletic Director of the Year

Rick Dissinger is unassuming and humble, and he’s constantly deflecting attention to others. He’s a fly-under-the-radar, behind-the-scenes kind of dude.

In that way, he’s just one of the guys in the Lancaster-Lebanon Athletic Directors Association. That exclusive AD club is better at celebrating others than they are at celebrating themselves.

“I don’t really enjoy the spotlight,” said Dissinger. “It’s about the school and the kids. We (ADs) all kind of go through the same stuff and deal with the same job description. Whether it’s a big school or a small school, you’re working a lot of with people in your school, in your league, with booster clubs. All ADs kind of operate in the same realm.”

At the association’s regular monthly meeting on Sept. 17 at Lancaster-Lebanon IU13, Cedar Crest’s Dissinger was honored as the association’s Athletic Director of the Year. Dissinger was selected through a general vote by member ADs.

“It was humbling and somewhat surprising,” said Dissinger. “Any time you’re recognized by your peers it’s special. I thought about all the people I work with, the teams, coaches, event staff and parents who make my job as easy as it can be.”

In addition to Dissinger, other finalists for the league’s prestigious Athletic Director of the Year award were Tommy Mealy of ELCO, Ryan Czerwinski of Cocalico, and Ephrata’s Marvin Sanders. ADs nominated for the award were asked to submit bios and resumes at the association’s meeting in May.

Dissinger has been the chairperson for golf in the Lancaster-Lebanon League for five years.

As the Lancaster-Lebanon League’s representative, Dissinger will now be considered for the PIAA District Three’s Athletic Director of the Year award. That award will be determined by a vote of the ADs across the Lancaster-Harrisburg-Reading-York-Lebanon region and the results will be announced in late October.

“I’m far from excellent, but I’ve definitely improved and grown,” said Dissinger, who became Cornwall-Lebanon School District’s athletic director in December 2020. “I’ve had a lot of athletic directors help me, and they’ve been a resource for me. We borrow, steal, bounce ideas off, and commiserate with each other.

“We have three former ADs in our school district who have been extremely helpful. I’ve had a lot of people who have certainly helped. There are people who are constantly coming with new ideas. It’s about constantly evolving, and you’re looking for ways to improve.”

There are several hundred Cedar Crest student-athletes in grades 7 through 12 competing in 27 interscholastic sports each year. Dissinger’s typical 60-hour week during the school year consists of scheduling contests, officials, trainers and transportation, putting out fires, budgeting, counseling student-athletes, coaches and parents, meetings, hiring and firing, scouting, time management and identifying essential short cuts.

“Fortunately, I do have some flexibility in my schedule,” said Dissinger, a 58-year-old resident of South Lebanon. “Some days I’m in at 7 a.m., just like the other administrators. Other days I come in a little later. There’s that school-day part of it, and then there’s the afternoon, evening and game part of it. Having good people in place is crucial. The best part is when no issues arise, and you can just watch the kids compete.

“There are so many people involved at so many levels at the high school. Ultimately, ADs get involved because they like kids and sports. There’s a big positive to it when you see the people you work with have success.”

Before becoming the Falcons’ AD, Dissinger coached the Cedar Crest golf team for 20 years, served as the boys’ basketball head coach between 1999 and 2008, was the boys’ program’s assistant coach from 1995 to 1999, and coached baseball as an assistant between 2010 and 2013. In addition, the versatile Dissinger has coached boys’ and girls’ basketball on the junior high level, served as a scorekeeper, and even handled some public address announcing.

“There are some similarities between being an athletic director and a coach, but there are certainly some differences,” he said. “I get to watch all of our athletes’ progress through their seasons and careers. Like a coach, an AD is always planning. In some ways, you’re the coach of the coaches, but the day and the hour are never the same.

“I’m eating, breathing and sleeping Cedar Crest sports all the time, but it’s constantly changing hats throughout the day. Like a coach, I’m constantly looking at what we do well and what we can be better at. I’m constantly trying to find ways to get better and make the whole program better.”

Kids don’t grow up dreaming about one day becoming an athletic director. But a key to his success has been that he never lost his childhood love of sports.

“During my time as the head boys’ basketball coach, I got to work with ADs and administrators a little more,” said Dissinger. “I enjoy sports, but it certainly wasn’t something I thought about growing up. In some ways, it’s kind of a natural progression for some people, especially on the education side of things. Being here for 35 years in different capacities, you kind of get to see all levels. Loving Cedar Crest, loving sports, loving to work with student-athletes, I guess it just caught my interest.”